Elderly who participated in a survey reported that their greatest fear for long term care is being a burden to their families. They don’t want to intrude on their children’s lives, but want to remain independent as long as possible. In many cases, it is mandatory that the family seek out an assisted living home for their parents due to Alzheimers. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for up to 80% of dementia diagnoses.
The majority of people living with Alzheimer’s are over the age of 65. About 200,000 Americans under 65 have early-onset Alzheimer’s. This is a worry for family members who adjust their own schedules to take care of their loved ones. Over 15 million Americans are unpaid caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Caregivers provided an estimated 18.2 billion hours of care in 2016, with a value of $230 million.
Even though the retirement age is 66 at present, the average age of retirement is 63. This is due to disability caused by illness or accidents. In fact, almost 70% of Americans turning 65 will need long term care at some point. Hence the need for assisted living homes. Many of these elderly parents would love to stay in their own homes long term, but it requires that their children assist them almost on a daily basis.
It is a relief to the family to know that there are memory care units that provide 24 hour supervised care for the residents. This takes away much of the worry from those who have to make a living to provide for their own children. Not only do they take care of their physical needs, but almost 40% of assisted living homes provide assistance with three or more daily living activities. Residents can choose from a variety of games, sports, hobbies, and other activities to keep their minds active.
It is a difficult decision to make whether or not to register the elderly in your family into a specialized care facility, but it is comforting to know that memory care facilities are more regulated in 23 out of 50 states due to special care unit disclosure laws. You can find trusted care for your loved ones where they can enjoy friends and have regular healthy meals. Also, they can stay safe and remain active for the remainder of their lives.
