Exploring admission to long-term care can provide some comfort
Long-term care can be the right choice.
No one wants to think about entering a Long-Term Care (LTC) facility, but circumstances may be such that long-term care is the best environment for a person with dementia. Exploring admission to LTC can provide some comfort for someone who is:
- Living alone
- Not eating properly
- Has no social interaction or
- Can't get out of the house
Long-term care may become the ‘right place’ for a person with dementia because it can:
- Increase pleasure and quality of life for the client.
- Offer recreational programs that:
- Help the patient feel valued.
- Provide socialization.
- Allow the caregiver time alone to look after themselves, reconnect with friends or rest.
- Provide access to physicians who can treat medical conditions such as:
- Pain (one of the most likely contributors to aggressive behaviour).
- Bladder or bowel issues which can impact behaviour.
- Shortness of breath.
- Determine nutritional needs.
- Some LTC facilities may also offer access to:
- Geriatric medicine
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Social workers
- Occupational therapists