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.

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.

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.

While aging is a part of life, the experience presents different joys and challenges. Some things get easier with the wisdom that comes with age, but other aspects of life become harder. Deciding how to face these difficulties involves making lifestyle choices, hopefully at a time when the matter is practical without being urgent. Many older adults wonder where best to live out their golden years. One option is to “age in place.” This phrase has come to mean planning, preparing, and adapting a home to make it a safe, healthy place to reside.

What are the Alternatives?

Just as it sounds, aging in place implies that an older adult will choose to remain in an independent, private residence, whether it’s a long-term home or a relocation. In contrast, a vast assortment of living arrangements is available, including retirement communities and assisted living. These locations were developed and built with the likely needs of aging adults in mind, so they offer amenities to the residents. From meals to entertainment, health care to accessible design elements, these places provide services, structure and community.

Why Age In Place?

The benefits to aging in place include the comfort of home, the familiarity of a long-term community, proximity to friends, family, and other support systems built during a lifetime. Moving can be disorienting and particularly difficult for older adults whose resilience is impacted by physical and mental health issues. In addition, the cost of relocation as well as the ongoing fees associated with aging adult facilities and communities can be prohibitive for some people.

What Does it Take to Age in Place?

Aging in place requires some adaptation to the realities of growing old. Most homes will require some renovation, which can be as simple as installing grab bars in the bathroom and rearranging cupboards so that frequently used items are easier to reach. Other alterations can be more substantial like widening doors, adding ramps or installing a full bath on the ground floor to allow for single floor living. Furniture can be rearranged to be easier to move around with a walker or other assistive device. In addition to these space transformations, aging in place involves some planning for existing or eventual needs:

• Finding alternative transportation when driving becomes unwise
• Getting help around the home with basic housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, and shopping
• Tending to health and hygiene needs as these become harder to manage

Finally, isolation can be a real challenge for older adults. In the event of an emergency, a plan should be in place to contact help. Regular interaction is important for mental and emotional health as well as providing a second set of eyes to make sure that everything is safe and comfortable.

According the AARP, 70% of Americans 50+ would prefer to age in place. It may not be for everyone, but this increasingly popular option is feasible with some planning and help. Priority Home Health has some of the best experience caregivers that make aging in place both feasible and enjoyable for older adults in Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River Counties.  We begin our relationship with our clients with a thorough assessment of their specific situation and needs, and we can offer custom solutions to allow them to continue to live at home. Contact us today for information about our FREE in home safety assessment at 561-766-1954.

WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR HOME HEALTH ADMISSION?
 

• Be essentially home bound, but not necessarily bedridden, and needing assistance when leaving home.
• Needs at least one of the following: intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language therapy or continue to need occupational therapy that are medically reasonable and necessary.
• Be under the care of a licensed physician who decided that medical care at home is necessary and will assist in making a plan of care for the patient at home.

WHO NEEDS HOME HEALTH CARE?
 

Patients meeting the home health admission criteria listed below (but is not limited to):
 

• Chronic illnesses like (diabetes, hypertension, cancer *non hospice, congestive heart failure, COPD, etc.) who needs follow-up   and management with medication regimen.
• Newly diagnosed illness or conditions who needs education, monitoring and follow-up.
• Recovering from a stroke/CVA.
• Recovering from surgery (orthopedic, cardiac, neuro, etc.) or other disabling event needing follow up rehab and monitoring in the home.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOME HEALTH CARE? 
 

• Physicians find many patients recover sooner and more comfortably in the familiar surroundings of their home. We coordinate with hospitals and nursing homes to help people return home as quickly as possible and resume their normal activities.
• Families tend to stay more involved in their loved one’s care and patients feel more independent at home.
• Home care gives patients the opportunity to be reunited with family and friends in familiar surroundings and still receive the care they need.
• Professional staff work closely with a patient’s personal physician to tailor care treatment plans to their individual needs.
• Home care prevents or postpones institutionalization.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

Harriet Tubman

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