Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Every 3seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. This is not a normal part of aging, there is no method of prevention and there is no proven cure. November is Alzheimer’s awareness month. Do what you can: donate, educate someone, educate yourself, wear purple, throw an event, pledge your birthday, share your story, share the message. Together, we can educate the population and decrease the stigma placed on Alzheimer’s. We can educate the young population that will one day be doctors, researchers, and caregivers. We can light the fire inside their hearts. Such an awful disease can only be fought, defeated, treated, cured if we fight together.  

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is currently the 6^th leading cause of death. Currently, there are 46.8 billion people worldwide fighting dementia. This means that 1in every 3 senior citizens die with some form of dementia. This number will increase to around 74.7 million in the next 44 years. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease; this means that the symptoms will worsen over time. Per the Alzheimer’s Association, here are ten early warning signs of Alzheimer’s:

   1.      Memory loss in daily life

   2.      Challenges problem solving

   3.      Difficulty with familiar tasks

   4.      Confusion with time/place

   5.      Trouble with visual images

   6.      Problems with speaking & writing

   7.      Frequently misplacing items

   8.      Poor judgment

   9.      Changes in personality and mood

   10.  Withdrawal for social activities

To formally diagnosis Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, visit your doctor.  Your doctor will perform memory tests that involve problem solving, counting, and language followed by brain scans; CT scans and PET scans. 

If diagnosed, there are some wonderful facilities that provide caregivers specifically for dementia and Alzheimer’s. The Scottish Home recently added The Caledonian House to their facilities. This new location specializes in best in class memory care. Our memory support program understands the challenges, changes, and difficulties associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. The program focuses on emotional and physical health of your loved ones.

The Scottish Home provides loving care, friendship, and enriching activities. Because of our small size, the environment is very intimate; this makes our residents and staff feel like a family! In addition to the new memory care facility, The Scottish Home also offers assisted living and nursing home care facilities. Schedule a Tour of our facilities located at 2800 Des Plaines Avenue in North Riverside Illinois. For more information, visit our website or give us a call at (708) 447-5092!

Construction Underway For Caledonian House

The Scottish Home has been providing loving care and quality services for over a century.  For many years, we dreamed of enhancing our Scottish Home campus by building a new residence for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  We are pleased to share that construction of our Caledonian House is underway!  Set to open this June, the Caledonian House will offer state-of-the-art memory care whilst remaining true to the Scottish Home’s heritage of being a place where friends become family.

Designed as a home rather than an institution, the Caledonian House has been under construction since last June and will be ready for completion in just a few months.  So far, a red-shingled roof has been placed on the frame of the building.  Eventually, the framing will be sheathed in a half-timber and stone veneer that will give the building a homey, welcoming appearance! 

Inside the Caledonian House, you can expect much more than a traditional nursing facility.  This facility has been created and specifically designed for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.  The Caledonian House is arranged like a home with an open floor setting.  Rather than resident rooms coming off of long corridors, rooms open up into a shared living area, sitting area, dining area and open kitchen. 

In addition to quality construction and an advanced floor plan, staff members of the Caledonian House will be providing best in class memory care.  Staff will be cross-trained to provide nursing, food service and housekeeping duties so they will better be able to forge personal relationships with residents. 

The Scottish Home would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the construction of the Caledonian House!  The donations and support we receive have allowed us to continue our commitment to senior citizens and continued memory care.  If you have a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s that needs quality memory care, consider the Caledonian House.  The grand opening is set for June and space is limited.  

To learn more about The Caledonian House and our construction phase, please like our Facebook page or contact Becky Drennan at 708-426-7175!