Learning that a loved one has Alzheimer’s brings up many questions and a whirlwind of emotions. Like any traumatic life event, accepting what has happened is critical to making decisions about what comes next. Let your loved one know they won’t be alone, then start pulling together resources. We’re here to let you know that, as a caregiver, you’re not alone, either. [Read more…]
Everyone has memory loss, and as a person gets older, it’s common for signs of memory issues to become more prevalent. How do you know when “normal” memory issues are actually a sign of something much more serious, such Alzheimer’s disease? Here are the top 10 early signs of the disease according to the Alzheimer’s Association: [Read more…]
The numbers tell the story of Alzheimer’s effect on families and the nation. An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease in 2014, including approximately 200,000 individuals younger than age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. Here are some additional figures about Alzheimer’s from the Alzheimer’s Association: [Read more…]
The Irving area includes many facilities for dementia care. As loved ones get older and require additional care to live safely and happily, many families find themselves looking for a long-term care facility. When a loved has a form of dementia, the need to find a specialized care facility is critical. I understand the challenges. As owner of Senior Living Specialists, serving Irving and the entire DFW area, I was faced with this same issue in 2008 when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. That experience inspired me to create a FREE service to help other families. Contact me today to get your free guide.
Having a loved one diagnosed with a serious illness can be overwhelming. Many people with older loved ones wonder about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia. The most important distinction is that the term dementia refers to a set of symptoms, not a specific disease. Dementia symptoms often include things like language difficulty or loss of recent memory or poor judgment. These symptoms, when they interfere with day-to-day life, can characterize someone as having dementia. People with severe dementia may have one of many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy Bodies and Frontotemporal dementia.
Doctors can make a more specific diagnosis through blood tests, a mental status evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and sometimes a brain scan. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-70 percent of cases of dementia. In the early stages of a dementia related disease, there can be some clear differences that help doctors reach a diagnosis. However, as each specific disease advances, more parts of the brain become affected, making it more difficult to notice the differences between them. The bottom line is this: all people with Alzheimer’s have dementia, but not all people with dementia have Alzheimer’s. Any form of dementia can be difficult to manage and likely requires specialized long-term care.
Senior Living Specialists is locally owned and operated, serving the greater metro area of Dallas and Fort Worth, including Irving, Frisco, Arlington, McKinney and Plano. If there are any questions on how we can help your family find the best dementia care facility in Frisco, then please contact me (Paul) by email at paul@seniorlivingspecialists.com or by phone at 214.929.5055. Remember, there is no cost to families for our services. Senior Living Specialists is a non-biased third party service compensated by referral fees from facilities.
Families are often surprised to hear the amount of Plano Alzheimer’s Dementia Care Facilities that exist as of December 2012. Can you guess the number…well the number of options is over 19. Often families are surprised to hear the answer and try to do this process by themselves. Unfortunately, some families don’t do enough homework and end up calling me after they’ve moved a family member into a community after something has gone wrong. However, the average family doesn’t realize how stressful it is, but also that they’re dealing with a marketer most of them that is usually concerned about “filling” the apartments. [Read more…]