Living alone

Hi this is a great question for our community. While we wait for others to join this thread, I wanted to send over this article. The article discusses questionnaires doctors use to assess your health. The information from the survey helps them understand how you live and can help determine which types of services and supports you may need: https://alzheimersdisease.net/resources/long-term-services-supports. I hope this is helpful as a guide to the resources available to you. Jill (Team Member)

Hi , I wanted to share an additional article to the one Jill shared - https://alzheimersdisease.net/living/finding-independence. And also tag in . While he does not live alone, he and his wife lead several support groups for PWAD and their caregivers, and he may be able to share some feedback. I hope you can get some helpful information and connections. - Warmly, Donna (Team Member)

I am glad to provide some feedback. We lead three support groups at our hospital so hear lots of comments from the patients and from their support people. What my wife and I have found is that each situation is different. Some patients are in the early stages; while others have progressed to later stages. In the earlier stages, most patients can very successfully live alone or with minimal support. As it progresses, the amount of support needed increases.

In our support groups, at present, none of the patients are in situations where they need full time care in the home. Some do need assistance daily, every other day, etc. But the vast majority are functioning with some level of independence.

To summarize, it is a continuum of care starting with none needed, to some help needed, and on and on....

On the plus side, the days of when "Grandma or Grandpa" was not doing well alone so needed to be put in a "home" should be behind us if families are proactive and get that person assistance before it has progressed too far. The key is being willing to confront the patients with their observations and then the caregivers being willing to act on it before it becomes too late and the only option is having a full time caregiver.

You are welcome. We just got back from a 3000 mile trip that took us to the new Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, up through Canada for several days, then back to the US through North and South Dakota and then home. We were gone 10 days.
My point is I was diagnosed three years ago and we continue to do about everything we have done in the past. While this is not something people want to get, with an early diagnosis and the treatments that are now available you can still have a wonderful life!