Volume 45 - No. 42
October 15, 2015
by lyle e davis
Life has a way of changing over the years.
Time was when old Uncle Billy, or old Auntie Maude . . . or even dear old mom . . . was kept in the back room. Not brought out when company came to call.
They were ‘loners,’ ‘just not feeling well,’ ‘under doctor’s orders to remain in bed and quiet.’ In fact, they were suffering from what was then called ‘senility.’ Today, we have fancier names for the condition. Dementia. Alzheimer’s. And rather than keep our family members ‘in the back room,’ we now have beautiful, modern, well designed ‘retirement homes.’ Many of these ‘retirement homes’ have ‘Memory Centers,” separate wings or additions that are secure (locked down) so that residents may not ‘wander.’ (Leave the building or premises.)
There are a number of beautiful facilities in North San Diego County that serve this growing market. We can’t detail them all but have visited enough to come away with some impressions that may help you if you are ever in the position where you are looking for a retirement home for yourself and/or your spouse, or for family members. Or, if dementia or Alzheimer’s has hit you or your family or friends, there are excellent facilities available. (Some retirement homes offer both ‘independent,’ ‘assisted living’ as well as ‘memory care units.’
The price of care has gone up quite a bit, however, from ‘the good old days’ when the family would shield their afflicted family members. Instead of family care, those folks who now suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s have highly trained doctors, nurses, and therapists, both physical and mental. But the price tag is high.
Lowest retirement home apartment I was able to find ran around $1800 for a studio apartment. If/when you move The Paper - 760.747.7119
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into a memory care type unit, you’re looking at around $4000 and up. We found one where the price tag was near $6500 a month . . . and a $6000 ‘community fee.’ Luxurious facility - but you pay for it.
I remember about two years ago I was worried about my memory. Like all of us, I’d get up to go to the kitchen and then, arriving in the kitchen, wondered what I had come here for. I thought I’d better get checked out to know if I was coming down with dementia. I wasn’t and, as far as I know, am not.
Fairly easy test. I visited one of the outstanding neurologists in the Kaiser system. I can remember him asking me to picture three things in my mind, one of which was ‘pennies.’ I don’t remember the other two, but let’s say they were ‘apples’ and ‘horses.’
He then went down a checklist, asking me a variety of questions over, maybe, a three minute period. Then he asked me to recite the three items we had discussed earlier.
“Pennies, apples, horses,’ said me.
“You can relax, Mr. Davis. You do not have dementia and have no signs that you are headed in that direction.”
I felt relief. That meant that you and me are a lot alike. We just sometimes forget our trains of thought or reasons for going into another room. It’s natural. Had I not been able to recall ‘pennies, apples, horses,’ then the Doctor would likely have ordered additional tests to determine if, in fact, I was in the early stages of dementia. Dementia can, and often does, lead, ultimately, to full-blown Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia is a ‘condition.’ Alzheimer’s is a disease. There is no cure, at present, for Alzheimer’s. Nor is dementia, at present, reversible. It can be stabilized and the growth slowed . . . but it’s not reversible.
We’ve come a long way from ‘senility,’ and ‘feeble-minded,’ and ‘not all there,’ days. Treatment and facilities are much better. But much more expensive. Often, insurance doesn’t cover the cost of care. Medicare does not, MediCal will, if the
patient qualifies, usually based on income and ability to pay, or not pay. Long term care insurance is most helpful . . . but be careful of which company you buy from. I’m aware of at least one nationally known company that reneged on long term care coverage for its client and left their client dangling in the wind. Why she or her family didn’t file a lawsuit to compel the company to fulfill its contract is beyond me. Some individuals with dementia who are ‘high functioning’ actually live in either ‘independent’ or ‘assisted living’ quarters and mingle with the rest of the residents, usually with little or no problems.
If the dementia advances to a point where it becomes too difficult to remain in that environment . . . if the amount of functional capacity diminishes, then the patient is moved to a ‘memory care unit.’ Much more expensive, much more attention needed, and not nearly the same type of social atmosphere or companions.
As to Alzheimer’s . . . this is a disease I fear more than cancer, heart attack, stroke. I lost my mom to Alzheimer’s. This sounds terrible but those who have experienced a family
Going, Going, Gone . . . Continued on Page 2