I am looking for research into community support for the aging Alzheimer's population. Is it better for the family to place to Alzheimer's patient in assisted living or a Alzheimer's community village. Which would delay dementia symptoms longer?
You can find a lot of resources at the website of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, which has dozens of links to information, research, support, caregivers, etc. at http://www.alzfdn.org/
Also the Alzheimer's Disease Education Referral Center at the National Institutes of Health at https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
I am developing my prospectus for my dissertation that examines the link between physical activity and cognitive function, trying to predict future trends within the U.S. population. As far as the question, my guess would be it depends on which setting offers the most activity for the patient. Go to the individual website for each one may shed some insights. If you compared the number and types of activities and then compared medical records of patients. Or even ask the staff from each site how their facility impact their patients' health. I am curious as to which setting provides the most activity and independence. Perhaps examining this might lead to an intervention in the design of various facilities. Even the location such as an urban and a rural setting could impact how much activity an individual might get, as well as the design of the built environment. My guess, just having an area to walk in could make a difference (some place that is safe and accessible). So if they offer a gym or a built-in track that could make difference. Then there is the social aspect of being active as well.
Thank you for your information. I am a proponent of maintaining an active lifestyle and believe this will aid the AD patient, especially with social interaction.
After my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and disabled from a back injury after a fall my sister and I have cared for her the past 3 years in her apartment. Her physical condition got worse and she could no longer walk with her walker and we moved her into a brand new beautiful facility called Boonespring Health Care Center just minutes from us. She adjusted really well, one of the family visited everyday until the Coronavirus hit.
Currently she is in intensive care at the hospital with pneumonia and a severe kidney infection. This is her second stay in intensive care in the past month. Thank God she has tested negative for the virus on both stays at the hospital!!
This pandemic of course has changed everything and the has compounded the current issues (isolation, loneliness, depression) with our elderly population. I am hopeful and confident that this graduating class can focus on conquering the new challenges this change is creating living a different kind of life.