You have to be patient with Alzheimer’s. Once you understand that it’s a medical condition, you become a little more compassionate.
Eventually, people with dementia may need 24-hour monitoring and assistance to provide a safe environment, control aggressive or agitated behavior, and meet their needs. A person with dementia may need monitoring and help at home or in an institution.
- A dementia caregiver provides ongoing, quality care for a senior suffering from dementia.
- General responsibilities include discreet assistance with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and incontinence.
- Dementia caregivers also provide various types of additional in-home support.
- Schedule wisely. Establish a daily routine. ...
- Take your time. Anticipate that tasks may take longer than they used to and schedule more time for them. ...
- Involve the person. ...
- Provide choices. ...
- Provide simple instructions. ...
- Limit napping. ...
- Reduce distractions.
Informal care for someone with dementia symptoms is common. However, caring for a loved one getting progressively worse can be problematic. It can quickly become more than one, untrained person can manage. Patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s can even become angry, aggressive, violent, and abusive, becoming more than a family member can handle.
When this occurs, families may turn to one of many different types of care. Before the disease has progressed too far, in-home care or day care may be adequate. With in-home care the family can hire a home health care worker to come in a few hours a day, all day, or even for 24-hour care. An in-home caregiver may also be a nurse, but this is much more costly. To allow family members to go to work, adult day care is an option for care during the day at a facility outside the home.
Both in-home care and adult day care are largely non-skilled supportive types of care. Caregivers provide assistance with chores around the house and sometimes with personal care as well. They also provide security, making sure the patient does not wander or get lost. The same is true at day care, although this option allows for more social and other activities.