Program Evaluation Design Preparation Assignment

If you’re a caregiver you know that some days are better than others, but when you’re caring for a person who suffers from Alzheimer’s it can feel like things change from minute to minute. The professionals at Senior Care Transition Services provide free resources and senior living advice to people in the Dayton, OH, area who are looking for in home care providers, medical services, senior services, and assisted living communities. They know how trying caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be and they have 3 valuable tips for all of the dedicated caregivers out there:

The program offers individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a secure atmosphere with activities, meals, and companionship with others. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy is available with the program along with interventions from the nursing staff. Special occasions and parties are hosted by Seasons for participants. Another benefit of the day program is it provides a break for caregivers. Alzheimer’s disease affects the whole family, and Seasons believes in being there for all affected (Seasons Care Center, n.d.).

More than 5 million Americans currently have dementia in the United States and this number is projected to rise to between 8 and 13 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Dementia is known to become more prevalent with age, increasing from 5 to 10 percent in people over 65 years of age to almost one half of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Although family members provide the majority of care for people with dementia, increasing needs over time often lead to placement in a long-term care setting. Dementia is the most common reason for entry into long-term care facilities (Zimmerman, 2013) and nearly 90% of persons with dementia will have at least one stay at a nursing home in their lifetime (Grunier, 2007).

In addition to standard care, Alzheimer's care includes supports from companion services, exercise support, and help with recreational activities to cognitive and physical supports suggested by your loved one's physician such as memory games, help with task completion, and dietary

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia currently affecting 5.3 million Americans. Of the 5.3 million, 5.1 million people are the elderly population with two-thirds of those affected being women. There is no treatment available to cure dementia but measures can be taken to sustain the quality of life. Dementia not only affects the patients directly, but also family members and caregivers as well. Family members deal with patient’s memory loss, changes in personality and also have to take care of the ill patients financially. According to WHO, the cost of dementia in 2010 worldwide was estimated to be $604 billion dollars. Apart from the economic pressure, family members also deal with the physical and emotional pressures that come with dementia.

“Therapeutic Activity Kits: A Successful Strategy for Hospitalized Patients Living with Dementia” is the journal article that I read and reviewed. The purpose of this review is to see how effective the therapeutic activity kit is for individuals with dementia. The central purpose or aim of the study is to see the quality of improvement in life and behavior in the outcome for patients and families.

Studies point out that the participation of intergenerational programs can have positive effects on participants’ well-being, quality of life especially among elders with cognitive impairment. There are increasing interests in the intervention implemented in the community setting; however, few studies focused on older residents in the institutional sites. The intergenerational program in this study is a 12 weeks preschool children daycare activity that will be taken place in the assisted living facility with a one-on-one match up the older residents with cognitive impairment. The purpose of this intervention study is to examine the effect of the intergenerational program on older residents with cognitive impairment in an assisted living

In Canada, there are approximately 120,000 people that have been diagnosed with dementia or a related condition. Dementia is a progressive mental disorder characterized as the deterioration of intelligence and personality (Myers, 2009). By 2031 the number of people living with dementia will drastically increase to 750,000 due to the aging baby boomers population (Statistics Canada, 2013; Black, et al., 2010). People living with dementia require assistance with activities of daily living (ADL); this assistance is often performed by a family member acting as a caregiver (Black, et al., 2010). A caregiver is a person who contributes to another person 's social, medical, environmental and economic resources (Myers, 2009). Although family

The most common type of care for Alzheimer’s patients are staying with family members or close friends. This is because many people cannot afford the care of a skilled nursing home. Often times it is children taking care of their parent that has Alzheimer’s. It is not easy taking care of someone who took care of you as a child. If the person is still working, it will hurt their career and may cause them to retire earlier. The “patients” care increases as they lose their ability to speak or do basic things on their own. In many cases, the caregiver will suffer from depression from the emotional and financial

Caregivers who report caring for a loved one in an at-home environment tend to show more symptoms of depression, and fall into a poorer state of physical and mental health. Depending on the relationship status of the caregiver and the elder with dementia, fewer symptoms of depression may result than expected due to reduction of guilt, resentment, or burden towards the situation. In addition, experiencing pleasant activities on a daily basis boosts the caregiver's and the patient's mood, causing more satisfaction at the end of the day. Implementing a daily routine filled with physical activities, activities promoting cognitive functioning, and other mood-boosting activities guide the individual to engage with his or her community. Although these tasks may become harder to complete in later stages of dementia, it is crucial for maintenance of cognitive functioning along with higher levels of happiness.

While caring for patients with Alzheimer’s the first thing I learned was that each patient experiences Alzheimer’s differently. Each day was a new experience for me, and when caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s there’s no one way to care for them. As a caregiver it is important to find effective and simple solutions that work for you. The facility had five units that were set up by the stages of the disease. I was assigned to unit D which was the unit for patient that suffered with moderately severe to very severe stages of Alzheimer’s. I was assigned to six to eight patients each shift. My duties were to provide daily care such as, activities, bathing, grooming, feeding, and transporting patients to and from bed. When caring for patients that are in the moderately or late stage of Alzheimer’s you really have to care for them as if they were a small child.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can be a complex task. It can be frustrating, confusing, emotionally draining and physically exhausting, the local Alzheimer Society is a great aid for a range of accessible services and resources for those experiencing different stages of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, as well as, support to caregivers and other health professionals.

Moreover, in the caregiver’s support group the members shared their experiences on a level of informed love, and all accepted the unconditional support from the facilitators and other members. Furthermore, when a client shares personal life experiences, the regard for themselves is raised, thus leading to furthering their therapeutic goals (Sparrow, 2008). Per Sparrow (2008), love or agape should be included in therapy, along with unconditional positive regard, and empathy. Per Burnes & Ross (2010) there are many groups who are marginalized within a group setting, however, in the Alzheimer’s caregiver’s support group, the caregivers were all equal in sharing the same battles of caring for their loved one. The one constant is that Alzheimer’s does not discriminate among races, cultures, or belief

The program is designed to create a friendly and active environment for older or disabled adults with health condition an enjoyable opportunity for meeting and reunion during the day. Participants can make new friends with other adults, join a variety of activities, visit children, and receive support from medical programs in the house. Day care service will also offer nursing services and therapy to ensure their health condition at any time. Old people tends to feel isolated, thus, group activities like exercising, dancing, or playing with children will improve their physical health, satisfy their social needs as

In more than 6 million individuals in the United States living with Alzheimer, there are over 16 million relatives who are providing the on-going assistance that does include transportation, care management as well as attainment of health visits. The costs of the families offering prolonged care for this multifaceted condition are widespread and well recognized. With disease development up to the last stage, it is clear that families are at an increased danger considering the numerous threats that do include the financial constraints and stress. This business plan proposes that a strong evidence base is a vital requisite for information transformation. However, few interventions have been executed to practice.