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Rita, Alzheimer's, and Me - A Family Caregiver's Story of Alzheimer's Disease

From , former About.com Guide

Updated: November 10, 2008

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The Memory Care Center

Photo © Don Franklin

Rita stayed at The Court at Sun City West, a memory care center.

Photo © Don Franklin
On September 1, 2005, with the aid of my two sons, I placed Rita in a memory care facility near our home. It was the hardest decision I had ever made in my life. My main concern was her health and safety, and I was convinced that trying to provide that on my own was impossible.

Choosing the right memory care center was probably something that I did correctly. I found out that none of them are perfect and all of them are expensive. If you cannot qualify for Medicaid, it will cost close to $5,000 a month -- the rent progresses as more care is needed, and it will be needed. There are long-term care insurance programs out there, but if you are not smart enough to enroll at a younger age, it will all come out of pocket. I was not smart enough! But the important thing now was to provide Rita with the proper care.

I did an in-depth review of all the care facilities in my area and finally selected the one closest to our home. It was the cleanest, it had no smells, it had good activity and dietary programs and it was convenient for my visits -- and it was the most expensive. The better care outweighed the cost for me.

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