Caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or a different kind of dementia can present a lot of really unique challenges for a person. When you are caring for someone who has a physical ailment, you are still able to reason with that person and speak with them just as you always have. A disease that afflicts the mind, however, can make it feel like it’s almost impossible to communicate with them and provide them with the care they so desperately need.
The National Institute on Aging offers a guide to help people adjust and work with their friend, family member or other loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Dealing with the effects of this disease can prove incredibly frustrating and overwhelming, and the NIA’s guide aims to help cope with challenges and offer recommendations on the best approaches and reminders to take time to care for yourself.
Fortunately, you don’t have to manage this care alone. Your Own Home can provide your loved one with the right type of care and assistance they need if they are living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. We have almost a decade worth of experience when it comes to caring for individuals in Wilmington and throughout Delaware, assisting with regular medication monitoring, transportation and more. We have found that those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can benefit from our services even more than most other people.
There are steps that we take to care for your loved one while making them feel as comfortable as possible at all times. Here are a few of the ways that we can help ensure your loved one received the help that they need.
Watching Over Those Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
People who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia often need to be monitored at all times. They can become confused quite easily, and while they might seem perfectly fine one minute, they can lose track of their surroundings and get lost the next. Therefore, it’s important for someone to keep an eye on their whereabouts and make sure that they don’t run into any trouble throughout the course of a day.
Individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can often forget to take care of simple tasks, too, like taking their medication or even eating their meals. Your Own Home allows these people to live more independently by helping them with these basic tasks and guiding them throughout their daily routines without being overbearing.
Communicating With Those Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
If you haven’t spent a lot of time around someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you might have a hard time communicating with them effectively. Those who have a disease that affects the mind can become confrontational and aggressive at times, as A Place for Mom notes, and the last thing you want to do when speaking with them is make matters worse by yelling at them or putting blame on them. Rather, you will need to figure out what is bothering them and find a way to get them to focus on something else in order to get them to cool off. It isn’t always easy to do this, but Your Own Home utilizes some of the best practices with regards to communicating with those who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia to keep the situation calm and level.
Practicing Patience With Those Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
One of the most difficult aspects of caring with someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is that you never know exactly what you’re going to get from them when you are around them. It’s why you need to keep an open mind and expect just about anything when you are with them. At the same time, it’s important to remember that those living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are people, too, and they want to enjoy their lives just like the rest of us. Whether you are speaking with them about taking their medications or helping them perform a household task, you need to remain patient and allow them to live life with dignity.
When you agree to work with Your Own Home, we will send someone to your loved one’s home as often as you would like to offer home care services for them. We offer a full range of senior home care services, ranging from companionship and supervision to housekeeping, transportation and organizational services. Whether you need us to stop by once a week or require live-in care, working with Your Own Home can provide you with the peace of mind that comes along with making sure your loved one is safe. We have the resources, knowledge, experience and training to care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and can help take some of the burden off your plate.
You don’t have to manage the care of your loved one alone. To find out about the in-home care services that we offer for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, call us at 302-478-7081 today.