The team at Bethesda Gardens Loveland is ready and waiting to help members of our memory care community and their families manage the physical and emotional aspects of dementia. However, access to a rich bank of high-quality dementia resources can also assist you in dealing with various facets of memory loss.
The internet is an excellent source of dementia-related information, but knowing where to find helpful and reliable support is essential. The following websites provide a wealth of information on all things dementia, from the latest health care breakthroughs to expert-approved legal advice.
Whether you're in the early stages of memory loss yourself or want to support a loved one living with dementia, making decisions about medical care in advance can provide peace of mind. Living wills, health care proxies and other arrangements can help you ensure your care providers follow your wishes if you lose the capacity to make decisions as your condition progresses. Many people find these arrangements help reduce worries about the future, making it easier to enjoy vibrant lifestyles in their memory care communities.
The National Institute on Aging provides free resources to simplify advance care planning. Resources include worksheets to help you start meaningful discussions with friends and family, checklists of important legal and financial considerations and myth-busting articles to help tackle misconceptions about planning for future care.
CaringInfo, a program from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, provides comprehensive guides on preparing legal documents such as advance directives. Its free resources provide advice on recording your wishes and managing difficult conversations with loved ones. It also offers downloadable sample forms if you need to create documents without a lawyer.
As a caregiver, navigating your loved one's condition while dealing with financial considerations can be challenging. Alternatively, you may have recently received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another type of dementia and want to learn more about living well with your disease and what to expect as it progresses. Free dementia education programs can help you make practical arrangements, find effective ways to communicate and learn how to manage common dementia symptoms.
The Alzheimer's Association offers a wide range of dementia education programs, including options for caregivers and people living with memory loss. The programs include guides on legal and financial planning, dementia-related behaviors and money management. People with memory loss and their caregivers can also access live webinars on a range of dementia-related topics.
Keeping up to date with the latest developments in dementia research and care can help people with memory loss and their families find treatments and strategies to ease symptoms and improve their quality of life. Numerous organizations offer health-related resources to support people impacted by dementia to enjoy happier, healthier lives.
Being Patient shares free dementia news and supporting articles to educate people living with memory loss, their loved ones and caregivers. Here, you'll find advice from dementia experts on issues such as sundowning, communication difficulties and symptom management. The site also provides information on medication options, research and dementia prevention strategies.
The National Institute on Aging is also a rich source of health information for people with Alzheimer's and dementia. The institute's website includes a database of health-related articles written by dementia experts, helping affected individuals and their families learn more about the symptoms of memory loss and explore their treatment options.
While planning for memory care or estate planning, you may need help from a legal professional experienced in elder law. You can use the Alzheimer's Association community resource finder to locate elder law experts near the Bethesda Gardens Loveland community. Alternatively, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) offers an online service to connect you with a local lawyer.
Several organizations provide free resources containing advice on various legal issues affecting seniors with memory loss. The American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging offers a variety of guides to help people with memory loss navigate concerns such as capacity, guardianship and health care decision-making. For example, it provides a free guide explaining how to support people with cognitive impairments to vote.
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with a variety of legal issues impacting older adults via Colorado's Legal Assistance Program. It contracts with local lawyers to provide legal advice on matters such as financial exploitation, long-term care and public benefits. Members of the Bethesda Gardens Loveland memory care community can access support by contacting the Larimer County Office on Aging using the office's online contact form.
