Alzheimer's and Dementia, Asset Protection, Elder Law, estate planning, General Interest

Alzheimer’s Disease and Home-Care

  By Rick Law, elder law and estate planning attorney at the Estate, Asset and Retirement Tax Law Firm of Law Elder Law in Aurora, IL.   Finding a dependable, trustworthy, long-term caregiver is something that families often grapple with…  retaining a great caregiver is the other half of the struggle that families encounter when faced with disabilities and/or long-term diseases. The majority of the folks we encounter are impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease and the resulting progressive dementia. Alzheimer’s often causes people to lose their inhibitions and judgement, or what my mother calls our “thin veneer of civilization.” Mike Rohan is the president of All-Trust Home Care, a firm that helps place professional caregivers in the home environment, as well as assisted living and nursing home situations.  He once shared with me that his company used to have a constant problem in staffing for Alzheimer’s clients; caregivers would often quit or demand reassignment after only a week or two.  He said, “People with AD can present challenging behaviors, such as screaming, repetitive questions, paranoia, non-cooperation, and even violent aggression.  Very few caregivers have been trained in how to deal positively with these challenges.” In an effort to serve both his employees and the All-Trust clients, Mike decided to seek out a solution. He signed up for a program offered through the Alzheimer’s Association called the “Best Friends Approach to Dementia”, and attended the “Train the Trainer” classes for the best friends approach.  After completing the program, Mike began to teach his firm’s caregivers how to implement the Alzheimer’s care ideas included in the best friends approach.  The results have been nothing short of revolutionary. It has worked out so well, that All-Trust has been offering training classes every Tuesday at their Hinsdale office, and every Thursday at their Deerfield office with some Saturday classes.  The classes are not only for their employees, client family members, but for members of the community as well. You can find out more about Mike and All-Trust Home Care at www.alltrusthomecare.com Caregivers now have the tools that need to communicate effectively with their clients, despite the barriers of the clients’ dementia-related behaviors.  The quality of life for both the caregivers and care receivers has been remarkably improved.  In fact, Mike smiled broadly when he stated, “Before we implemented the best friends approach training, it was difficult to retain staff.  But now I cannot think of anyone who has quit.” Similarly, at Law Elder Law, we’ve added new seminars several times a month to serve the community at large. We address the issues important to you and your family, from estate, retirement and asset protection topics to navigating the ever changing and often uncertain landscape of aging, planning, and preparing. RSVP today for one of our complimentary upcoming seminars at lawelderlaw.com/events. If your loved one has memory problems and you’re afraid of the consequences that may bring, give our office a call today at 800-310-3100.  Your first consultation is absolutely free.  We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family.  Call now.   Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!