Assisted Living for Dementia and Alzheimer's Care
Posted by RPJr
on Aug 20, 2015
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A Rotary connection for our speaker, a hardship overcome, and a new business in town brought Sheryl Lunde to us on behalf of Autumn Leaves, the new dementia and Alzheimer’s assisted living facility on South Arlington Heights Rd. Ms. Lunde said it is dedicated solely to memory care and explained aspects of the diseases, symptoms, and costs.She noted there are approximately 50 types of dementia, one of which is Alzheimer’s. Some are reversible, though with Alzheimer’s, all that can be done is to slow the progression and care empathetically for the patients and families. A distinctive characteristic of Alzheimer’s is that you are unable to work through a problem of memory or orientation, whereas a person with normal aging usually can “walk back” through what happened in order to find the solution…for example, to finding where something was left, who was involved, or where one is.
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In addition to showing us informative slides, she shared some general comments. As these diseases develop, you as a family member may get to the point where you can’t do it all. Utilizing the services and “caring” life style at the facility enables the patient to have most needs met while enabling the family members to focus on giving love. A key part of caring for someone with these problems is to accept them as the new person they are becoming.
Living at Autumn Leaves costs $6,500 per month for a double room and $7,825 for a single room with private shower. It is "private pay." “Having a double in effect increases the care and interaction.” Unlike some organizations, Autumn Leaves doesn’t charge for additional services. In response to a question about quality of care, she said management monitors staff attitude so that the people who work there haven’t “burned out.”
One of the keys to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is to transition from the person they were to the person they are becoming. Techniques involve patience, talking more slowly, breaking down instructions into simple steps, interacting with the resident so as to join/interact with them in the moment where they are mentally, expressing/showing compassion, smiling and being gentle, and redirecting behavior. She cited some interesting examples. When starting to interact with a resident, it's helpful to come alongside a resident and walk with them, not approach them directly and look them right in the eye. There’s more acceptance when a caregiver offers a hand rather than taking an arm or hand. Saying, “We’re going to lunch now” is better than than asking “Do you want to go to lunch” because sometimes making a decision can be overwhelming.
Sheryl introduced her presentation with some personal background. She said she decided to work at Autumn Leaves after having someone dear die from Alzheimer’s about a year ago. Sheryl herself had just overcome projections for limited recovery from cancer of the jaw, having had a bone implant and losing her hair. Her father was a Rotarian and her mother-in-law represented Land-o’-Lakes dairy products as the Indian Maiden seen on product packaging and on tours with “Aunt Jemima”.
The Arlington facility is being filled more quickly than others, she said, 21 of the 42 rooms already occupied. The address is 1625 S. Arlington Heights Rd., 847-725-6700. For a description of the services and information about the company and its many other locations, visit their website at AutumnLeaves.com.