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Alzheimer's Care Retirement Homes in Edmonton, AB

The complete guide to memory and dementia care in Edmonton

Care for Alzheimer’s patients in Edmonton retirement care homes offers innovative strategies, benefiting from the growing body of research into this disease. Edmonton has some of Alberta's best Alzheimer's care homes. 

Alzheimer’s treatment options in Edmonton

Home Care Edmonton

In Edmonton home care is a popular Alzheimer’s care option. A number of agencies make up the home care Edmonton infrastructure, providing a variety of services that allow Alzheimer’s care patients to avoid seniors housing in Edmonton.  Edmonton home care can include basic home maintenance, help with groceries and cooking, or more social programs designed to stimulate memory while promoting group interaction.  Compared to other cities the combined efforts of several independent but like minded agencies make Home care Edmonton one of the most comprehensive in Canada.

Adult Day Programs

Adult day programs are technically part of home care Edmonton. Generally these programs are designed to promote mental engagement through conversation, memory games, and group experiences. These are popular choices for those concurrently in some form of Edmonton home care as they encourage the patient to leave their home and interact with the outside world. It is also popular and in some cases encouraged to continue enjoyable day programs while living in seniors housing or an Edmonton retirement home.

Seniors Housing Edmonton

Seniors housing Edmonton offers a variety of care levels each providing seniors with a quality lifestyle. Seniors housing Edmonton covers any situation where a senior moves into a retirement home (independent living, assisted living or long term care facility). Edmonton retirement homes are equipped with specialized medical and recreational equipment in order to address guest’s physical and emotional needs. Unlike the nursing homes from decades past, modern seniors housing providers and retirement homes in Edmonton are closer to hotels than hospitals, blending healing and hospitality to make residents as comfortable as possible.  

Cost of Alzheimer’s care in Edmonton

The average cost of a seniors housing Edmonton room was calculated at $2,482 for the year end 2012. That rate is based on a one bedroom suite, which was the most common choice for accommodation. Retirement home costs vary depending on the residence. Find a table of average prices for the entire province of Alberta, which can be seen as representative of the city of Edmonton.

Choosing an Alzheimer’s care facility

There is no magic answer for the best facility to meet every patient’s individual needs. While some people may value location to be near their adult day programs, family, or friends, others choose their care facility based on comforts like food and room size. Though there is no one way to determine the ideal facility for a particular patient, there are several common factors every potential patient should consider before moving from Edmonton home care to an Alzheimer’s care home.

A brief look at knowing when to move

• Is your loved one no longer able to maintain their current home without significant assistance?
• Do they find themselves isolated from their peer group or having trouble meeting people their own age?
• Are you beginning to notice lapses in their memory?
• Is meeting their personal care needs becoming a challenge?

A brief checklist of what to look for

• Do the facilities meet their individual medical needs?
• Does your loved one know anybody living nearby or in the home itself?
• Are they comfortable interacting with the facility’s medical and hospitality staff?
• Can you see your loved one living and thriving in the environment?

Medical services at Edmonton Alzheimer’s care homes

The vast majority of seniors housing Edmonton and memory care homes will have a doctor on site or at least one who makes regular visits and is available in case of emergency. A dedicated Alzheimer’s care facility will likely have frequent visits from dementia specialists. Any Alzheimer’s care facility will have 24 hour supervision and nursing, delivered in such a way that the patients are cared for and attended to without feeling coddled or smothered. Though some homes do not have pharmacies on site many offer services to fill patient’s prescriptions, for dementia and all other medications, effectively compensating for a pharmacy on the grounds. The Alzheimer’s care centres in Edmonton tend to be very close to major hospitals should more advanced medical treatment be necessary. Any facility practicing Alzheimer’s or other dementia care will organize therapeutic activities like games, classes, and talks that promote socializing and mental stimulation, which are considered a form of treatment given the nature of the disease. Like most senior living communities, Alzheimer’s and memory care centres are beginning to integrate nutrition into their treatment plans by designing restaurant quality meals that also align with their patient’s dietary needs.   

Safety, security, and other features of retirement homes

Unfortunately 24 hour surveillance is a reality of effective Alzheimer’s care. Patient’s tendency to wander off and unwillingly put themselves in harm’s way makes locks and check in procedures essential. It is for this reason many patients are often forced to choose seniors housing over Edmonton home care. Many facilities will install these protocols in the least cumbersome ways possible though they most definitely exist. The procedures will vary depending on the facility though it is very common for these types of institutions to have emergency communication systems in every resident’s room.