The number of people struggling with the Alzheimer’s disease is increasing each year. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.5 millions of Americans are affected by it, and more than 5.3 million of them are senior individuals at the age of 65 and older. Almost 400,000 of New York citizens are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. Furthermore, the shoсking statistics claim that someone develops this disease every 66 seconds in the US.
Open Door Home Care understands that when it comes to caring for senior patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s definitely one of the most challenging jobs a family or professional caregiver may undertake. It requires the ability to deal with difficult behavior patterns, emotional breakdowns and consistent deterioration of individual’s health.
Once even the simplest daily tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing and taking medicine require close monitoring, and it’s not safe to let the person remain at home for a long time without someone’s observation. That is why hiring a skilled home health aide or in-home caregiver is the smartest choice.
Our experienced caregivers and nurses operating in New York and Nassau County are able to find the approach to each Alzheimer’s patient, find a common language with a senior individual facing irreversible changes and make sure that they’re able to stay in the comfort of their own home despite the illness. Here’re the expert Alzheimer’s care tips they share.
Tips to care for senior Alzheimer’s patients
1. Address the diagnosis
If you plan to care for a relative with Alzheimer’s or want to partner with the senior home care services tailored to the needs of such patients, it’s absolutely necessary to gather the information about your loved one’s particular diagnosis. Include medical issues, the treatments that may work the best for them, medications they need to take, therapies to attend, the ways the disease is going to progress and things you need to prepare to.
Gather this info in a designated folder and provide it to the Open Door Home Care nurse caregiver assigned to your relative. Having a completed treatment plan will make providing the best assistance to your loved one and concentrating on their daily needs a lot easier for the caregiver. Knowing personality traits is really important as well, as building trust and secure communication is a key to effective and compassionate Alzheimer’s care.
2. Ensure safety
One of the first things our home health aides and caregivers do after getting assigned to the Alzheimer’s patient and evaluating their health needs is taking a close look at their homes and eliminate the safety risks.
Such measures as installing secure locks on the outside doors and windows, getting rid of the door locks in bathrooms and bedrooms, so that the senior patient can’t lock themselves in are crucial. It’s also necessary to keep their medications and cleaning supplies out of reach, eliminate kitchen-safety issues and make sure that the patient prone to wandering always wears a location-tracking device (e.g., GPS watch with a calling option).
3. Establish a routine to care for senior Alzheimer’s patients
The life of elderly individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s becomes much more manageable once they get into a consistent daily routine. Dressing, bathing, and eating don’t look like a huge challenge when the patient knows which tasks to expect at a particular part of the day and gets familiar with the instructions, flavors, and physical activities.
4. Communications and relationships of senior Alzheimer’s patients
Caregivers at Open Door Home Care New York put an emphasis on making sure that their patients don’t lose connection with the outside world, friends and family members, as communication affects their mental health and mood. However, communicating with a senior person affected by Alzheimer’s disease may be a challenge, especially for relatives and family members. That’s why it’s important for a caregiver to become friends with the patient and explain their family members the best ways to interact with their loved one.
For instance, when talking to Alzheimer’s patients, it’s better to use simple words and sentences, as well as help them find the necessary expressions. Regular family visits and social outings should be a part of a senior Alzheimer’s patient care. Incorporating favorite activities, hobbies and things that help maintain functional skills will help the patient stay true to his or her personality and enjoy the day. It’s unacceptable to talk to an individual with Alzheimer’s like a baby or discuss the patient as they weren’t here.
5. Don’t deprive the Alzheimer’s patient of independence
As the illness progresses, it becomes more and more difficult for a senior home care specialist or a family caregiver to let the patient perform some tasks on his or her own. However, it’s crucial for the sake of individual’s emotional state, as well as for their physical health and brain function, to maximize the independence.
It’s just the matter of paying attention to person’s strengths and weaknesses and teaching skills to adjust to the effects of Alzheimer. Aim for a healthy balance between the safety of your elderly patient and his independence.
Seeking senior home care services
Professional home health aides, caregivers, and nurses who have special training and extensive experience in caring for the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease are always a valuable addition to the family. They will not only monitor the health and ensure safety, but also provide kind companionship and help patients enjoy their life despite the illness. Open Door Home Care staff is always ready to provide the best senior in-home care to your relative affected by Alzheimer’s in New York and Nassau County. Just fill in the contact form to get your questions answered and connect with the best caregivers in your area.