At some point in our lives, most of us will have a personal connection to Alzheimer’s and dementia. When a loved one receives a diagnosis like this, the immediate reaction can be devastating.
Understanding the differences between these cognitive diseases can be key in spotting symptoms early, managing care of a loved one, and creating the best plan of action.
There are many misconceptions about Alzheimer’s and dementia. When referring to dementia, we are using a broad term for decline in cognitive, functional and behavioral abilities. These symptoms include difficulty with problem solving abilities, memory impairment, language and communication difficulties, and other cognitive related skills that hinder one’s ability in navigating daily activities.
Dementia is always driven by an underlying neurological condition such as Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease occurs when there are changes in the brain that result in cell damage. This damage is what causes dementia symptoms to appear. Alzheimer’s is progressive in nature and diminishes one’s abilities over time.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Home Care Services
At Preferred Care at Home, we take a hands-on approach when providing care for clients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. No matter the diagnosis of our clients, our caregiver’s main priority is to promote and encourage a healthy, stimulating, and safe lifestyle.
Nutritious Home Prepared Meals: Proper nutrition helps support overall brain health. Our caregivers are given a care plan designed by their registered nurse supervisor that includes nutritional guidelines and restrictions based on your loved one’s medical condition.
Medication Reminders: Our care team maintains an accurate list of all the medications our clients are taking. These lists are placed in key areas in the home as well as maintained in our digital data bank to ensure our caregivers always have access.
Maintaining Proper Hygiene: Though physical activity may decline later in life, maintaining good hygiene still matters since weakened immune systems can make our clients more susceptible to infections. We assist with bathing, showering and providing bed baths as well as ensuring proper oral health through brushing teeth or maintaining dentures.
Environmental and Home Safety: During the initial assessment of our clients, a registered nurse conducts a 10 point home safety assessment. By doing this, we can reduce the risk of injury due to slips, trips and falls and ensure our clients have the means to safely reach out for help in the event of an emergency
Transportation to Doctor’s Appointments: Attending medical appointments is vital for managing Alzheimer’s and dementia, and transportation should never be a barrier to care. Our caregivers provide reliable and compassionate transportation services to ensure your loved one arrives safely and on time to their scheduled visits.
Stimulating Mental Awareness: At Preferred Care at Home, we understand that the disease does not define the person and that abilities will differ from client to client. Stimulating mental awareness is a critical element of the care plan for those facing the challenges of cognitive decline from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Our caregivers use a variety of different techniques to get their clients’ minds working.
Playing Memory Enhancement Games: Using memory enhancement games can be extremely beneficial when caring for clients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. By using these games, our caregivers are helping strengthen recall abilities that can be translated into activities of daily living. Personalizing these games encourages clients to participate and recall warm memories from their own lives.
Encouraging Social Interaction: Keeping our clients engaged with family and friends is a critical aspect of caring for a person’s social well-being. Our caregivers assist clients with making phone calls or video chats to friends and family, scheduling gatherings when appropriate, and taking them on outings in their local community.
Stimulating Healthy Conversation: Incorporating current events, favorite sports teams, and even the weather can lead to a more in depth and detailed conversation. Watching a TV show can become interactive when discussing the actors, clothing styles and old cars. By actively encouraging in dialogue, our caregivers are strengthening their clients’ communication skills and keeping their mind actively in the present.
Providing one on one services ensures that our clients receive optimal support when dealing with declining cognitive, social, and physical abilities.
Signs Your Loved One May Need Home Care
Being able to recognize early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia is imperative in planning care for a loved one.
Ten most common early symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia diseases are:
- Loss of memory that affects instrumental activities of daily living
- Decline in problem solving/planning abilities
- Challenges with words and loss of writing ability
- Losing track of time and place
- History of wandering
- Limited or lack of social interaction
- Mood and personality changes
- Difficulty with recall skills and losing items easily
- Balance issues related to visual and spatial orientation
- Decline in decision making skills and judgment
The earlier these symptoms are recognized the sooner professional help can be established in the home.
Home Care vs Residential Facilities
At Preferred Care at Home of Central New Jersey, we pride ourselves on providing in-home services that allow your loved one to age with dignity, independence, and grace. There are many reasons why choosing an in-home care service can be more beneficial compared to residential facilities.
Customized Care: A homecare agency allows you to work collaboratively with a care manager to tailor the specific requirements you are looking for in a caregiver. This can include certain qualifications, gender, spoken language, and creating a custom schedule that fits your needs. This is something that is not offered within patient facilities.
Personal Attention: Though there are no mandates or regulations when it comes to caregiver resident ratios, some caregivers can be assigned up to 16 residents in any given shift. With a homecare agency, your family member is the only client assigned to a specific caregiver in each shift.
Safety and Comfort: Preferred Care at Home’s main goal when caring for clients with Alzheimer’s and dementia is to keep them safe, healthy, and comfortable. Because disorientation is an unavoidable part of the journey, keeping your loved one in their home as long as possible provides them with peace of mind, familiarity, and comfortability.
Pet Companions: There is another aspect of daily living that tends to be overlooked when caring for seniors: their furry friends. Many of the seniors we have provided care for have pets that they consider to be part of the family. By choosing in-home services, this allows seniors to age in place alongside their pet companions.
Support and Relief for Family Caregivers
Partnering with an in-home care agency like Preferred Care at Home of Central New Jersey can provide families with much needed professional support when facing the challenges of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Having an additional resource for information and assistance as well as a highly skilled and compassionate caregiver to provide personal care for their loved one can dramatically reduce family stress and enable loved ones to age in place with dignity and independence.
Caregiving is a difficult job and can become overwhelming for those who are providing assistance to their loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. While trying to balance other obligations such as work and family while caring for a loved one, most caregivers put self-care last on the list. In-home care even for a few hours a day can allow family members time to focus on their own needs for a period of time.
Certified Home Health Aides that Care
Alzheimer’s and dementia can be a long journey, and most families are not equipped to do it alone. Our Certified Home Health Aides are skilled in the areas of personal care, medication management, meal preparation, physical activity and housekeeping.
In addition, most of our aides can provide transportation to medical appointments and will keep detailed notes from each appointment so authorized family members may continue to monitor their loved one’s health.
Preferred Care at Home can also connect families to other local resources that can help such as food delivery services, attorneys, and medical specialists that will provide care right there in the home.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Home Care Services
Let Preferred Care at Home of Central New Jersey partner with you and your family as you navigate the challenging journey of Alzheimer and dementia with your loved one.
As advocates for exceptional dementia care, Preferred Care at Home has cared for hundreds of clients with Alzheimer’s and dementia across the nation. Our specially trained, compassionate caregivers allow our clients to safely remain in the comfort of their home, or in the home of a family member.
While there’s nothing that can reverse dementia, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly and engaging in cognitive activities can help slow the progression and improve quality of life.
Contact us today to discuss your loved one’s needs.
