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Keeping a loved one at home vs nursing care

My husband has early onset Alzheimer's, do many people going thru this same thing, keep there loved ones at home vs nursing home??

Comments

  • harshedbuzz
    harshedbuzz Member Posts: 6,021
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    It's a mix here.

    Every PWD is different. Every caregiver is as well. The circumstances and resources available inform decisions.

    Dad was home until about 10 weeks before he died. Mom would have preferred to keep him home but his murder-suicide ideation made it unsafe.

    HB

  • PlentyQuiet
    PlentyQuiet Member Posts: 139
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    DH was diagnosed at 61 with MCI, and at 64 entered hospice care at home. If it were not for STRONG family support, daycare, and community respite programs I would had to have placed him. EOAD can move fast and it is exhausting, frustrating, and yet so boring.

    This is not really a one person job, and even with family help I would place him if I had the means to do so.

  • SDianeL
    SDianeL Member Posts: 2,665
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    many do keep their loved ones at home but few can do it alone. As the disease progresses your loved one will require 24/7 care. Many PWDs become bedridden and incontinent in the late stages. Many become anxious, agitated and aggressive putting the caregiver at risk of injury. Most people have to hire help for that. Hiring help is often difficult and it’s very expensive. Memory care is also very expensive. File for SSDI. Meet with an Elder Law Attorney immediately to get DPOA, Medical POA, HIPPA forms, wills, etc. don’t wait. Ask the attorney about long term care options including Medicaid requirements. If you choose to keep your LO at home, have a Plan B in case something happens to you or you are unable to care for your husband at home.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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