Alzheimer's Stories
  • Home
    • About
    • The Book + Free Chapter
  • Warning Signs
  • Caregiver Tips
    • Better Communication
    • Handling the Holidays
    • Take the Caregiver Stress Test
    • How to Find the Fun
    • Emotional Rollercoaster
    • Is It Time for Professional Help?
    • Long Distance Caregiving
    • Safety at Home
  • Blog
  • Home
    • About
    • The Book + Free Chapter
  • Warning Signs
  • Caregiver Tips
    • Better Communication
    • Handling the Holidays
    • Take the Caregiver Stress Test
    • How to Find the Fun
    • Emotional Rollercoaster
    • Is It Time for Professional Help?
    • Long Distance Caregiving
    • Safety at Home
  • Blog

Musings on Memory

Learn the Lingo for Alzheimer's

6/2/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Acronym Anxiety Anyone?
When I visited my first assisted living community, my tour guide was a cheerful young lady who spoke in acronyms.
 
We began our tour in the lobby, then walked past a gracious dining room, and paused in front of a locked double door. A plaque on the wall announced this was the Magnolia Wing, but my guide said, “Here is our secure MCU.”


She punched a code on the keypad and we went through the doors. My acronym anxiety immediately increased. As we toured the community, she bombarded me with code words: ADLs, CNAs, LPNs, MSU, SDP, LTC, DNR and DON. At least one reference every few sentences was a mystery to me.

I understand that language often is reduced to code so people inside a specific field can communicate quickly. But I was new to this, and already distressed just at the idea of assisted living for someone I love.
 
After touring 3 or 4 facilities, I began to remember what some of the acronyms meant

In Retrospect, I Think it Would be Best to Have a Decoder Ring BEFORE You Begin a Purchase as Emotionally and Financially Important as Assisted Living

So, here is a downloadable Learn The Lingo cheat sheet. It doesn’t have every term you’ll encounter, but it has some acronyms ever Alzheimer's caregiver needs to know.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Topics

    All
    Caregiver Guilt
    Daily Schedule
    Don't Do The Dishes
    Driving
    Hiding And Hoarding
    Is It Dementia Or Alzheimer's?
    Learn The Lingo
    Names Don't Matter
    Positive Ways To Deal With Long-term Illness
    Sandwich Generation
    The Persistence Of Memory
    Unexpected Role Of Caregiver
    World Alzheimer's Day


    Socialize


    Tweets by @AlzStories

    My Book for Caregivers

    Chapter 1: Free Download
    Picture
    Buy the Book on Amazon

This site is an extension of the book, Alzheimer's Stories. My goal is to offer relevant information to family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. This website doesn't pretend to be more than friendly advice. Please consult medical professionals when making decisions about your loved one's health. Please read our full disclaimer. Copyright 2018 by Karen Favo Walsh. All Rights Reserved.