What a Caregiver Can Do for a Parent With Alzheimer’s

1. Minimize Options

Make it easier for your parent to make decisions because they may feel overwhelmed by all the factors they need to consider. Streamline their wardrobe to a few coordinated outfits to help them select their clothes, and offer them two or three meal choices instead of asking what they want for dinner.

2. Make Their Days Predictable

People with Alzheimer’s benefit from a standard routine to guide them through the day. To create a schedule, set eating times for each meal, hygienic tasks, and recreational activities. Living life with a predictable rhythm will help them understand what’s going to happen and when.

3. Encourage Physical Activity

Due to changes in their memory and brain function, your parent will need encouragement to eat and exercise in a healthy way. Work with their doctor and any professional caregivers involved to create a balanced diet plan that takes their medical needs into account. You can also take them on daily walks to get fresh air and sun as well as mild exercise.

4. Use the Available Resources

There are many modern ways to make Alzheimer’s care easier. For example, several cellphones have GPS tracking, which can help you find your parent if they wander away. Lean on a smart device to announce their daily schedule and any upcoming calendar reminders. You can also look for professional caregivers to handle the cooking and other household chores so that your parent can rest and maintain their routine.

If you want professional help caring for your parent with Alzheimer’s, turn to Priority Home Health. This compassionate team has experience catering to elderly individuals with cognitive conditions, so they’ll know how to create a stable lifestyle that keeps your parent comfortable. Their care services are provided in homes, offering patients with familiarity and regularity. To get more information about how we can help, please give us a call (561)766-1954.

Consult With Your Parent’s Doctor

Emergency room statistics show that approximately 15 percent of all visits to the ER are due to adverse drug reactions among older adults. Since many seniors visit more than one doctor, it’s important to ensure that there are no contraindication issues with medications. Accompany your parent to his or her doctor appointments to review the full list of medications that are currently being taken and make dosage adjustments, if necessary.

It’s also a good idea to ask each prescriber if there are ways to simplify her medication schedule. If, for example, your father is taking a certain medication four times a day, you may be able to change the prescription to a medication that only needs to be taken twice daily. When consulting with each doctor, be sure to mention any over-the-counter medications your parent is taking.

Track All Medications

After consulting with your parent’s medical team, take some time to make a complete list of all the medications that have been prescribed. The list should include information such as:

• The name of the medication
• The prescribed dosage
• How and when the medication should be taken
• Any special instructions (i.e., take before bed)
• Possible side effects or contraindications

While you can use a pen and paper to track your parent’s medication, there are also many spreadsheets and templates available online to help you organize a medication list. Once you’ve made the list, make sure you always have a copy with you. You’ll also want to provide a copy of the list to any other caregivers in your parent’s life.

Consider Using a Medication Tracking App

If lists aren’t your thing, consider using a medication tracking app like Med-Helper or Medisafe Pill and Meds Reminder. These apps are designed to help patients stay on schedule with their medications and offer convenient features like medication logs, missed medication alerts, prescription refill reminders, and drug interaction warnings. Apps are also a good idea if you need to coordinate your parent’s care with other caregivers.

Keep Medications Properly Organized  

Most people store their medications in a bathroom medicine cabinet. This is not always the best solution, as the humidity from a shower can reduce the effectiveness of the medications. Instead, consider storing your parent’s medication in a place that’s cool, dry, and easily accessible – such as a kitchen counter. The exception to this is if any medications need to be refrigerated. In this case, make sure the medications are stored on an easy-to-reach shelf in your parent’s fridge. Another good way to keep medications organized and accessible is to purchase a pill organizer or timed medication dispenser. These items can be purchased in any pharmacy or through online retailers like Amazon. If you’ve decided to use a pill box, be sure to get one that your parent can open easily. It can also be helpful to use different pill boxes for medications that need to be taken at different times of the day.

Establish a Routine

When it comes to managing your parent’s medication, consistency is key. Your parent likely performs the same tasks at the same time every day, such as brushing teeth first thing in the morning or eating dinner at the same time every evening. Take your parent’s habits and schedule into account when deciding on the best times to administer his or her prescription medications. Establishing a routine will also help you and other family members stay on track with your parent’s medication and prevent double doses.

Managing your parent’s medication doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require some forethought and planning. The above tips should help you stay on top of your parent’s prescriptions and ensure the safety of your loved one. If you need some medication reminders, our caregivers can help with personal care. Please call Priority Home Health at 561-766-1954.

How to Chat With Someone Who Has Dementia

1. Keep It Simple

People with dementia may find it challenging to process multiple topics simultaneously, and they may be overwhelmed by open-ended questions. Keep your communication concise and focused—ask them one question at a time and make it as specific as possible.

For example, instead of inquiring what they want to wear, give them options by asking if they want to wear the red or blue sweater. As their caregiver, you can also apply this technique to discussions about practical tasks and recalling fond memories.

2. Remove Distractions

Some people with dementia are easily distracted and have short attention spans. Before talking, help them focus by addressing them by name and identifying yourself by name too.

When possible, speak to your loved one in a quiet space. If you’re at home, eliminate distractions, like loud music or the TV. If you’re at a restaurant or in a public place, find a quiet area away from noisy crowds.

3. Use Body Language

Dementia can harm the part of the brain that controls language, making it difficult to interpret and use speech. Use nonverbal gestures, like eye contact, nodding, and smiling, while speaking to convey your message.

Observe their body language to see what they may be trying to tell you, even if they can’t find the words. Support your loved one by allowing them to express themselves how they feel comfortable, whether that’s through movement, pictures, or sentences.

Our team at Priority Home Health is pre-screened for potential infections or exposures before being hired or assigned to patient’s care. We have also established an ongoing monitoring policy to provide safe and reliable care during these times.

We utilize continuing education to ensure Priority Home Health providers are trained on the best practices for maintaining proper hygiene, social distancing, and infection spread mitigation. Our care team is kept up-to-date on all the safety and health protocols during this changing situation.

Priority Home Health providers are all equipped with company provided masks and gloves to be worn during each service visit. We strictly adhere to this for safety reasons. To further enhance the safety of our patients, we have limited the number of patients each Priority is responsible to provide service visits.

Fall prevention is one of the most overlooked risks or potential health hazards for seniors. Most of the time these falls come with limited risk, and even sometimes make for a great story. As we age however, our bones become more brittle, muscles heal slower, and bruising happens a lot easier. Having a fall later in life suddenly becomes a very serious health risk that can lead to broken bones, limited mobility and in some cases death. Priority Home Health takes these risks very seriously and has a dedicated fall prevention program that evaluates every day risks enabling our CNA’s and caregivers to provide the best possible support to keep our patients and your loved ones safe and on their feet.

Fall risk can come from both external and internal factors. External factors can include doorway thresholds, floor mats, wet surfaces, clutter, and low visibility. A lot of us have these ever day obstructions in our homes, but we don’t consider the risks they present to the health of an elderly person. Many seniors also have internal factors that contribute to a fall. Factors such as poor vision, low endurance, limited strength & mobility, and sometimes even conditions or diseases like Parkinson’s or MS. These internal factors combined with environments full of obstacles can really make it difficult for a senior to manage safely day to day. At Priority Home Health we identified risk factors be used for fall prevention care planning. Falling is not a normal part of aging. You can prevent falls by doing the right exercises, making your home safer, getting regular health checkups, and more.

Our goal is to visit your home within 48 hours of receiving the doctor’s order or your request for services. We never put you on a waiting list. When you call our office, you will speak with an office administrator to discuss the services you need, your schedule, if you have any preferences in your caregiver, and your insurance information or private pay.

During the initial visit in your home with a Register Nurse (RN), he or she will talk with you about your rights, treatment plan, what to do in case of an emergency, and answer any questions you may have. Once all of the paperwork is filled out, together we will discuss a schedule and then set up a time for a nurse or home health aide to meet you and receive training in the home. Once you are comfortable with an employee, they can begin working in your home. If there is ever a problem, please don’t hesitate to call us at 561-766-1954 and we will do everything we can to make it right.

Ageism and a lost sense of purpose

There are lots of outdated stereotypes about elderly people, which can lead to isolation and marginalization in a lot of communities. By coming up with innovative ways to involve older people in the community through social events, we can not only help them to maintain a sense of identity and self-esteem but also tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience they have, which is so vital for the development of society.

Financial insecurity

While we are living longer, unfortunately, the world of employment and retirement has not evolved at the same pace. Many elderly people are able and more than willing to work past the standard retirement age, but the opportunities are not there. In addition, managing day to day finances and planning for later life can be challenging for older generations as much is now done online or remotely. This can also leave them more vulnerable to fraud and scams.

Difficulty with everyday tasks and mobility

A person’s mobility and dexterity will naturally decline as they age, which makes completing everyday tasks more difficult. This can gradually cause people to care for themselves and prevents them from being social, pursuing interests, or taking part in activities they enjoy. More support is needed to enable elderly people not only to live independently through products and programs which focus on safety, balance, fitness, and mobility but also to ensure they can continue to thrive as an individual.

Finding the right care provision

When complete independence is no longer practical, many elderly people require additional care. Sometimes this care can be provided by family members, but this can place a lot of strain on the caregiver in terms of balancing this with work and other family responsibilities. These caregivers need to be given the training, resources, and emotional support necessary to help them deliver the best care for their loved ones and themselves.

In some cases, it is more appropriate for a professional caregiver to be employed on a regular basis, e.g., when there are complex medical conditions and/or physical disabilities. With a comprehensive elder care service, the elderly person is able to remain in their own home.

Access to healthcare services

Healthcare can be complicated and disjointed for elderly people, especially for those struggling with long term conditions. The care requires lots of different medical professionals and clinics to coordinate delivery of medication and other types of care.

End of life preparations

We all need to prepare for the inevitable, but death is often a difficult topic for people to discuss or make plans for. Elderly individuals and their families need support when considering the end of life options available, financial implications, and how to ensure that the individual’s wishes are respected.

Stay Active

In 2019, the Surgeon General published a report finding that physical activity is a crucial component to healthy living. According to the Center for Disease Control, the report found that older adults can benefit from simple, daily exercise such as walking or gardening. Benefits from activity include increased physical health, lessening risk of anxiety and depression, and better cognitive function. For older adults who have some mobility or cognitive challenges, a family member or home care attendant can accompany and assist.

Be Social

Isolation is a serious problem for older Americans. Research shows that isolation leads to a variety of mental health issues, including cognitive decline. Physical safety is also a concern, since older adults may slip and fall and be unable to call for help if they live alone. Regular social activity, visits from family or a caretaker, or transitioning to a community of older adults have important beneficial effects on the lives of older adults.

Live Healthily

Proper diet, consistency in medication, good hygiene, and careful attention to risk issues like slippery bathroom floors can help an older adult maintain a healthy lifestyle. As people age, grocery shopping and cooking can become more difficult, and remembering to take medication can be a challenge for someone with some memory impairment. Family and community often can help an older adult with these tasks, as can a home healthcare attendant.

Be Proactive

The impact of small issues can be magnified for an older adult. It’s important to be sure to get and stay ahead of issues by anticipating and addressing them. Regular checkups with your primary care physician to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is also important to regularly reassess the home environment to determine whether changes need to be made for health and safety. Priority Home Health provides free, multi-point assessments of our clients to help them determine what changes should be made to help an older adult maintain a healthy, independent lifestyle.

Healthy aging should be a year-round concern, but it is a good idea to take time this month to think about whether you or a loved one could use some help or changes to get the most out of their life. At Priority Home Health, we encourage our clients and their families to work with us to identify services that can facilitate a healthy aging lifestyle. Call us today to learn more.