Alzheimer’s Patients Living Alone – When to Move Them

When do you decide that someone with Alzheimer’s or other infirmity shouldn’t live alone?  Some don’t mind at all moving in with children or going to assisted living.  However, the majority of people, as they grow older and can’t do everything themselves, resist moving from their home and becoming dependent upon family members or others.

This isn’t an easy decision.  Most of the time there isn’t a convenient answer.  Families usually aren’t set up to care for someone in their home.  Perhaps both work outside the home.  There may be children to consider.  And the increasingly dependent person wants to remain in their own home.

However, at some point, a person with Alzheimer’s or other type of dementia, cannot continue to live alone.  When my mother slipped out of her house one cold, snowy morning while I was visiting, I knew I certainly couldn’t leave her there alone.  Even though we were planning eventually to bring her to our home in another state, Jim and I knew the time was NOW.

So we had to make arrangements immediately, since I didn’t have anyone who could be with her full time.  Even with me there, she’d slipped out to look for her cat while I was sleeping.

I’d left her in her home longer than was convenient for us (since we had to travel 275 miles to care for her) because of sibling pressure.  However, Mother’s safety, not other’s desires, had to be the focus now.

Current discussions, at the Caring for Elderly Family Members group (http://groups.msn.com/CaringforElderlyFamilyMembers ),about when and how to move a family member from their home, brought this topic to my mind again.  I realize the situation and decision is different for everyone.  Getting input from others who have been through it or are going through this challenge often helps. You know you’re not alone.