Using Centers for Assisted Living in Albuquerque for Providing Alzheimer's Care

With their hard work, dedication and commitment to creating the final years of senior citizens a little better and a little more peaceful, these institutions are a vital part of the senior care community.

In Albuquerque, Alzheimer’s care facilities have been noticeably lacking though. It is strikingly conspicuous in its absence, but for some time, the assisted living facilities in Albuquerque have taken up some of the responsibility. It is laudable and indeed, easy to understand why it has been working pretty well as a transitionary, if ad hoc, measure.

Alzheimer’s disease majorly affects people over 65 years of age; early onset cases of the disease account for only 4% to 5% of cases of Alzheimer’s at most. Therefore, most assisted living facilities are already equipped to deal with most of the responsibilities associated with taking care of people afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Issues begin with the individual losing their ability to speak and sense of direction. Disorientation is common, and difficulty in taking nutrition and swallowing come next. As the various parts of the brain waste away, more and more bodily functions fail, resulting in problems with memory, vision and voluntary control of limbs and muscles. Respiratory failure follows, often resulting in a very painful death. Patients typically do not survive beyond 3 to 9 years after they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The disease often appears to accelerate the natural aging process as it declines the quality of life that is afforded to an individual in their twilight years. As such, these patients must be provided with comprehensive care all round the clock, and retirement homes and assisted living facilities are perfectly suited for that.

Most of the staff employed by the various high quality centers of assisted living in Albuquerque is professional and highly trained in care-giving. They are aware of the medical guidelines and procedures that need to be adhered to when caring for the elderly and that training is perfectly suitable for handling patients with Alzheimer’s disease. If additional training is deemed necessary, they can easily accommodate them in their daily schedules without much ado, since they are already trained professionals and do not need to learn anything anew.

The facilities also have state of the art medical equipment and people qualified to operate them. Medicines are readily available and nurses are on call 24 hours a day. Assisted living centers often maintain constant vigilance on the residents and continuously follow up on their health and issues, if any. These services make retirement homes and assisted living facilities perfect for housing and caring for patients who require Alzheimer’s care in Albuquerque in the absence of dedicated clinics. Until the state of New Mexico realizes the serious absence of avenues of providing long term care for patients of Alzheimer’s, the people will have to make do with temporary measures such as these.