Dear Paul:
My mom was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease about 18 months ago. Since then my father, sister and I have worked together to try to manage her illness at home.
Our challenge is that we all work full-time. So far we’ve been able to use home care aides to help during the daytime hours when none of us can be there. But lately my mom has started wandering and it often happens during the middle of the night when my dad is trying to sleep. Even though we have an alarm system on the house and a GPS watch that allows us to quickly locate her, it has just gotten to be too much. The three of us are exhausted from trying to take turns staying up at night to keep an eye on my mom.
While we promised one another that we would never move my mom to an assisted living community, we have all agreed it is time. It’s just not safe or healthy for any of us, including mom.
Where do you suggest we start our search for a community? My dad lives in Fort Worth and we’d really like to find something as close to him as possible.
Tina
Searching for Memory Care Assisted Living in Fort Worth, Texas
Dear Tina:
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that wandering is one of the behaviors families find very difficult to safely manage at home. Fear for a senior loved one’s safety is what leads them to make the same decision your family has.
The good news is that in addition to providing a safe and secure environment, a quality memory care program will offer your mom many benefits. From help with nutrition and hydration to specialized life enrichment activities, this move can help your mother live her best quality of life.
What I would suggest you do next is sit down with your father and discuss his finances. It can be a difficult conversation if you and your dad have never talked about money before, but you will need to put together a monthly budget.
The team here at Senior Living Specialists can help you find memory care placement opportunities that fit a variety of budgets, but we will need to know what your dad is comfortable spending each month. On average, a memory care program in the DFW area ranges between $4,500 and $5,000 per month.
Paying for Alzheimer’s Care in DFW is a resource we developed for families to print and review. It can help answer questions ranging from what type of payment memory care communities accept to how much different senior care providers cost.
Please feel free to contact us to schedule a convenient time for our team to meet with you and your family and help you begin your search.
Kindest Regards,
Paul
Senior Living Specialists is a free service for seniors and their families. We are compensated by a referral fee when a senior moves into a community or care home. Feel free to call us at at 214-929-5055.
