In a perfect world...

The moment of truth is arriving. For my dear Alzheimer-riddled friend Ron. Seems to me he’s no longer suited for assisted living. Instead, he needs full-fledged nursing home care. Yes, 24-hour-a-day supervision. It’ll be best for him. For everyone. Especially his family. It’ll relieve his daughter and son-in-law of some responsibilities. Give them more opportunity for much-needed respite. And thereby make them better supplemental care-givers.  Ron needs a total team effort.  For the past four weeks, Ron has been in Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul. Enrolled in a behavior modification program. Designed for dementia patients. The family is expecting a recommendation that Ron be placed in a nursing home. His dementia is far too advanced for anything else. Of course, if Ron were a VIP, such as Ronald Reagan, he’d receive  one-on-one constant good vibes therapy. Round-the-clock. It’d be nice if all advanced Alzheimer’s patients got such thorough and pleasant care. But if the family keeps a close watch on Ron in the nursing home setting, it won’t be bad care. That’s the secret. Ron needs a caring  advocate and protector. For the rest of his life.  In a perfect world, the same would go for all Alzheimer patients. –Jim Broede