Episcopal Church Home - Louisville

When considering memory care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. Fortunately, our staff is always available to address your queries and go over your options. Below, our care team manager, Paula Cates, answers several of the questions she regularly receives from caregivers and families.

Caregiver life can be wonderfully meaningful and fulfilling. But this doesn’t mean it’s not without its share of difficulties. The key to managing these challenges? Understanding them. Here’s a closer look at common dementia behaviors, their causes, and coping mechanisms for caregivers.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia provides many advantages, including access to treatment, the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and the chance to make healthy lifestyle changes that preserve cognitive function. There are also abundant social and emotional benefits—both for people with the disease and their loved ones. The takeaway? Being aware of early warning signs of memory loss can ensure that seniors’ unique needs are met.

According to researchers, though, one symptom is often overlooked: poor money management. Here’s a closer look into the issue, courtesy of a recent report from WKRC Local 12.

If you or an aging loved one was at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure or another major health concern, you’d probably urge the doctor to run a few tests, right? While most would agree, the same can’t always be said for dementia screenings. According to a special report from the Alzheimer’s Association, cognitive testing is routinely left out of senior checkups, resulting in significant medical, social, emotional, and financial consequences. Here’s a closer look at why this issue matters and what you can do about it.

All long-term care communities aren’t created equal. Which begs the question: How do you find the best fit for your loved one? Read on for a roundup of eight things to ask when choosing long-term care for your parent.

There are some days that I can’t get the motivation to call Mom on the phone. I never know how she will be. Will she be too tired, will she be confused, will she feel bad, will she be in pain? Some days it’s too stressful for me to make the call. Then comes the guilt...again. Feeling selfish.

She is so afraid. She is so afraid of forgetting...everything, everyone, herself. Afraid of the indignity that comes in the late stages of the disease. 

The holiday season is upon us. And while the season brings the promise of all things merry and bright, it’s not without its challenges — particularly if you have a parent with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to minimize stress and maximize joy over the next few weeks. Here are five tips aimed at helping you handle the holidays while caring for an aging loved one with Alzheimer’s.  

When a senior in your family is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of cognitive loss, choosing the right memory care can be a challenging process.

Opting for placement in a senior living community like Episcopal Church Home (ECH) in Louisville might be the best course of action, but you’ll naturally have many questions about which care center might be the right fit. 

Family members who are new to dealing with a loved one's dementia often ask us: "How do you talk with someone with memory loss?"

It's easy: approach talking to someone with dementia the way you would approach talking with a child.

That doesn't mean taking on a patronizing or condescending tone or addressing those with dementia in an undignified manner. It does mean using simpler language and maintaining an encouraging tone, positive expression, eye contact and open gestures. And it means exercising patience.

If your senior loved one is living in the Louisville area with dementia, Alzheimer's, or age-related memory loss, and could benefit from memory care, how do you go about finding the best memory care facility?

We get asked this question all the time.

And we empathize with you. The process of making a placement decision can feel especially stressful for the spouse, partner, or family caregivers of a loved one with dementia.