Posted at: 11/11/2009 6:50 PM
By: Mary Taing

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Nursing Homes Make Changes for Alzheimer Disease

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- Experts say the number of Alzheimer cases is expected to double every 20 years.

Now local nursing homes are changing the way they care for residents to help them deal with the deadly disorder.

St. Mark's Lutheran Home in Austin is considering renovation plans, to specialize some of its units for residents with Alzheimer's.

"Our study recommended that we create 20-25 memory care units to accommodate the need," says Christine Harris from St. Marks.

Alzheimer's is a fatal and progressive brain disorder.

Researchers say by the year 2050, more than 115 million people will be diagnosed with some form of dementia.

"It seems that as people are living longer, Alzheimer's is becoming more prevalent," says Sue Diekmann, Quality and Education Manager for St. Marks.

Diekmann says nursing home residents with Alzheimer's need special care, in a quieter environment.

"We really look for an area that was, maybe could be quieter. We also wanted an area that people wouldn't travel through on a general basis, to keep the area quieter and less stimulating because they easily can become agitated," says Diekmann.

St. Marks also want to get more specially trained staff to help residents with short-term memory loss.

"They forget how to dress, they forget to eat," says Diekmann.

Harris says they're still in the exploratory stages to see if they can logistically and financially convert some of their current space into memory care units.

She says it looks very promising.

"We're just really excited about the promise of being able to provide services to our seniors, services that they really need," she said.

There are already several nursing homes in Mower County that have memory care units.

A total of 65 in the county, and St. Marks hopes to add 20 more.