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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.