Caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia was considered a top concern by almost half of respondents in a recent survey of Monroe County residents over the age of 40, which was sponsored by St. John’s and conducted by Marketview, LLC in partnership with The Verdi Group.
Of those respondents with dementia experience, certain services were identified as helpful in maximizing the quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. 75% of those respondents indicated that that adult day care was important. This top preferred service was followed by at-home nursing care and advocate caregiver training, with 53% and 49% of respondents, respectively identifying those services.
For seniors (or caregivers supporting seniors) determining when a move out of their own home might be necessary, the majority of respondents indicate that being unable to conduct life-supporting activities like bathing or bathroom hygiene, as well as showing signs of memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia, as reasons to move into an assisted care or the skilled care level of service.
Over 57% of respondents over the age of 40 have had one or more experiences related to long-term care services, including visiting someone in a nursing home; providing occasional care for an older family member or friend; or having a close friend or relative with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Among those, 28% have had direct experience with someone suffering from a dementia-related illness.
For those with dementia care experience, two-thirds indicated that tips from other experienced caregivers would be valuable content for this online dementia resource center, while 53% thought content about financial aspects of caregiving would be valuable and 41% endorsed content on the use of technology.
