Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that can impact a person's cognitive abilities and memory over time. This disease can be very frustrating to the person afflicted with it, and it can be heartbreaking for family members. If you are going to have a loved one with Alzheimer's move into your home and you plan to be his or her caregiver, consider the following tips:
Make Your Home Safe
A person with Alzheimer's can forget what items around the house are dangerous, how to properly use the phone, and where things are located inside a home. It is a good idea to install extra smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, place safety knobs on the stove, and store cleaning products and all medication in a locked cabinet. Write down all emergency numbers on a piece of paper and display them next to the phone. Keep clutter to a minimum, and try to do your best to keep the house in the same condition everyday to make it easier for your loved own to get around.
Focus on Creating a Stimulating Lifestyle
While Alzheimer's can drastically change a person's day to day life, it is still important to focus on healthy activities to keep your loved one stimulated. Consider taking daily walks to get out of the house and enjoy fresh air. You may also want to look for senior day centers in your area-- these centers have staff that are experienced in caring for Alzheimer's patients. At a senior day center your loved one will have the opportunity to socialize and participate in a variety of activities.
Get Caregiving Help
Caring for an Alzheimer's patient can be mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. It is in your best interest to arrange for some help taking care of your loved one so you have time to take care of errands or other tasks that need to be completed. You may enlist the assistance of other family members, or consider hiring a home health care agency to visit your home on a regular basis-- your loved one's health insurance may cover the cost of professional care.
Know When Assisted Living May be a Better Option
As much as you may want to care for your loved one yourself, there may come a time when an assisted living facility is the best place for him or her to live. If your loved one is in the later stages of Alzheimer's or has other serious health problems, he or she can get around the clock advanced care at an assisted living center that specializes in caring for Alzheimer's patients.Choosing an assisted living facility doesn't mean that you have failed-- it just means that your loved one with Alzheimer's needs more care than you can provide by yourself.
Share13 January 2016
When my mom had a stroke, I knew that things were never going to be the same. We were very fortunate that she lived so close to the hospital and that the neighbor was there visiting when it happened, because the outcome is not as bad as it could have been. Unfortunately, she needed a lot of extra care while she worked to recover from the damage that was done. I found a wonderful assisted living facility to place her in to get the help that she needed. If you have a loved one that has recently experienced the same thing, my blog could be quite helpful for you.
