Alzheimer's: How do I begin to find a place for my husband?

@roeder It's not an easy decision to make, to move a loved one to a facility, is it? You need to have a very clear understanding of where your loved one is in the progression of the disease before you can make some decisions. You can check with your county Senior Services to get their thoughts about good facilities to look at. Knowing what level your loved one is at now and where they may progress to, will also help you narrow down the type of facility that you would need to look at as you want something with continuing care that can move him to a more concise level when he needs it. I hope that others will be able to chime in here. Please check back in with us as you take this journey. We care.
Ginger

Just thought you would like to know that Roeder is my middle name. Re: Alzheimers---How would I get in touch with my county's Senior Services?

Hello @roeder Nice to have you here with all the caregivers on Mayo Connect! I am Scott and I sure am pleased you found our community of caregivers. That said, I was sad to read of your current situation. The decision you face is a tough one.

I am no professional in this area, so I only speak from my own personal experiences.

As to senior services, each state seems to name them something different, but if you look up Office of Aging in your state that would be a good place to begin in general. For instance in Illinois and Chicago the each have a Department of Aging. Also the Federal government has a department within HHS on Aging. At http://www.hhs.gov they have a eldercare locator you can put your zip code in and get local resources. This is not based on quality, rather it is a good place to begin for a listing of all area resources. http://www.Medicare.gov also offers an online system of listing local care facilities, which are certified.

Personally we began with our GP. She was pretty tuned in to which facilities in our area were above average and which had poor reputations to stay away from. I also asked several nurses in our local hospice program and the geriatric unit at our hospital. They, too, knew who was best in providing care and just as important, which ones to avoid like the plague!

You might also find some ideas through your state chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Their website is at http://www.alz.org If I remember correctly they have links there to their state chapers around the US.

What resources have you tried so far?

Thanks so much for so much info! Will begin with the neurologist tomorrow.

Check with his dr's office. They may have a social worker or referral service to help you. Having a copy of your Dr's diagnosis will help locate a facility that has the proper services for him. My husband was a VA clinic patient and the social worker there was great help when the time came for a placement for him.

Ruth

@roeder, this is such a great question to ask. You'll notice that I change the title of this discussion to make it easier for people to find when they are facing the same tough decision. There are few related discussions on Connect that you may also wish to read, such as:

– Dealing with anxiety/guilt over spouse in LTC with Dementia https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/dealing-with-anxiety-guilt-over-spouse-in-ltc-with-dementia/
– Memory care https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/memory-care-1/
– To paraphrase Lady Macbeth: "Out, out damn guilt!" https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/to-paraphrase-lady-macbeth-out-out-damn-guilt/
– Ambiguous Loss https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ambiguous-loss/
– When the Caregiver Needs Care https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/when-the-caregiver-needs-care/

I also encourage you to join this discussion:
Caring for someone with dementia / Alzheimer's https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/caregiving-for-dementia-sufferers