A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease is terrifying. Even at the early-onset stage it delivers images of a loved one, or maybe of you, sitting unresponsively in a nursing home activity room. Alzheimer’s, however, is a progressive disease, and may take years to advance. As a matter of fact, some early-onset Alzheimer’s patients continue to work. Employers, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, make accommodations for employees with the disease, just as they would for those with other impairments.

Some of the accommodations are the same ones used at home for individuals in the early stages of the disease. Employers provide a voice-activated recorder to give the employee verbal instructions, make checklists of tasks and reduce the peripheral jobs to concentrate on primary functions. With accommodations at work and some in-home Alzheimer’s care assistance from a senior care service many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s live productive and happy lives for years. The in-home care can be adjusted as the patient needs more assistance. That continuity is a source of comfort and assurance as the disease progresses.

In addition to workplace accommodations, many patients find that they remember more and function better with memory training. This is another service a senior care organization can provide. The caregivers can become trusted friends that add to the security and self reliance of Alzheimer’s patients, especially when they are able to offer the added resource of prayer and faith.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is frightening and life-changing, but with assistance, early-onset patients can still be productive and vital. That’s where we come in. If you have questions about how we can help you or a loved one cope with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, contact us.