I was visiting an ALF with an AD wing yesterday and asked about a waiting list. I was told that there was no waiting list at the current time, and that the other facilities in my area also did not have a waiting list because it was such a hard winter on AD patients and there were many more deaths than usual. There was a caregiver's forum recently for the industry and apparently the discussion was that they had openings at their facilities because of the deaths, and no one recalled seeing a time when this affected so many institutions at the same time.

My DF had a horrible winter, and that is why we are looking for a facility for him. I have noticed many new names on the Caregiver's forum and lots of deaths and lots of people on death's door.

Is this something you have noticed in your area? Any idea why this would be? I am in Maryland and we did not have a terrible winter - actually rather mild with not as much snow as usual.

Sue, I'm up in NE PA and my mom had a bad winter. She spent the mothns of Jan-March in bed refusing to get out. With the Wind and ice storms the air pressure was casuing havoic on the brain. Even now with a very wet spring,she is still agitated at times and will not eat when a front moved through,