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The familiarity of a home environment is critical to the comfort level of seniors living with dementia. Residing in a new setting and attempting new tasks are enormous difficulties for dementia patients. The security of familiarity is among the five top reasons home care benefits individuals with dementia.
Dementia is a progressive brain disease that affects a senior’s thinking skills, behavior and memory. The gradual mental decline causes the sufferer to lose the ability to remain functional and independent in the activities of daily living. Assistance is often needed, and home care offers comprehensive support.
Benefit 1: Familiarity
Familiar settings are comfortable for dementia patients, since they lose their abilities to plan, begin and complete activities. The established routines in a familiar home environment help them remain grounded, thereby preventing the distractions and forgetfulness that often accompany dementia.
Home care allows the senior to engage in predictable routines. The elderly individual is able to consume the same foods, see recognizable faces and remain in familiar surroundings. Disruptions to routines are minimal. As a result, the dementia patient experiences more comfort and less anxiety.
Caregivers are able to schedule daily activities at home. The senior affected by dementia will expect meals to be served at a specific time, medication administered on schedule and exercise sessions to go as planned. Routines make it easier for the dementia patient to cope with everyday life.
Benefit 2: Socialization
Loneliness plagues people living with dementia. Due to the illness, these seniors are no longer capable of going out and engaging in social activities. Social circles dwindle, as friends and family pass away or move. Dementia patients struggle to communicate, making conversations difficult to follow.
When aging in place, seniors suffering from dementia will have continual access to understanding caregivers who provide ongoing social support. Family caregivers and companion caregivers interact with the elderly care recipient to prevent instances of crippling loneliness or social isolation.
Living in a familiar environment with familiar people reduces the fear and depression dementia patients feel when among strangers. At home, the seniors have access to companion care. Companion caregivers converse with care recipients, play stimulating games and offer compassionate support.
Benefit 3: Skilled Care
While memory care facilities are geared toward serving those with dementia, home care provides an equal level of support in a more comfortable home environment. Dementia care providers are trained to recognize symptoms associated with the illness and patiently handle uncharacteristic behaviors.
A dementia patient who wanders, for example, will be gently guided home by a trained memory care provider. Similarly, caregivers look beyond angry outbursts common to dementia patients and treat the person. Dementia caregivers are also skilled in calming down agitated seniors.
Professional memory care providers are knowledgeable about triggers that distress dementia patients. For instance, caregivers will turn down music blaring on the radio, limit visitors to just a few and distract seniors when they become upset by the immediate environment.
Communicating with the loved one is skillfully done. Memory care providers speak slowly so that dementia patients are able to follow. The professionals use simple words to promote understanding. Visual clues are incorporated into conversations to help guide the seniors’ responses.
Benefit 4: Personal Care Assistance
Dependable home care ensures that all the senior’s personal care needs are met. The dementia sufferer who might forget to eat will never miss a meal. Professional caregivers prepare nutritious meals in accordance with the senior’s dietary restrictions, help them eat and shop for fresh groceries.
Dementia progresses in stages. During the early phases of the disease, seniors may require limited help with bathing and dressing. As dementia continues to worsen, elderly individuals may need more assistance. Flexible home care matches the level of service needed at each stage of the disease.
Errands are accomplished with the help of memory caregivers. A routine part of caregiving responsibilities is to provide transportation. Seniors with dementia are able to safely visit the physician, post office, senior center or exercise classes in the company of dementia caregivers.
Benefit 5: Respite Care
Seniors with dementia benefit from respite care as equally as the family caregivers. Respite care is designed to provide temporary relief to family caregivers when they need a break from caregiving duties. Family members are able to shop or go on a vacation while the senior is cared for.
Respite care renews the family caregiver’s outlook, which in turn supplies them with the energy to better care for the senior with dementia. As a result of improved care, the elderly dementia patient benefits. Home care programs that incorporate respite care offer maximum benefit to everyone.
Caring for a person with dementia can be confusing, especially when the family member is not trained to recognize symptoms of the illness or does not know how to respond to uncharacteristic behaviors. Memory care providers with experience caring for dementia patients at home are the solution.
Reliable in-home memory care may be found through reputable home care agencies, like Assisting Hands Home Care. Our compassionate memory care providers offer the necessary, daily support to elderly individuals who suffer from dementia and are in need of constant monitoring and care.
The personal care duties our memory caregivers provide on a daily basis include incontinence care, help with bathing and dressing, meal preparation and assistance with eating. When seniors wander, our dementia caregivers will accompany them back home. Caregivers also skillfully reduce agitation.
When your aging loved one prefers to remain at home, Assisting Hands Home Care dementia services are an ideal choice. We make it possible to honor your elderly family member’s request while ensuring they remain safe, comfortable and cared for throughout the course of the illness.
Families with seniors living in the surrounding communities of St. Charles, Batavia and Aurora, Illinois, are encouraged to consult Assisting Hands Home Care for our in-home memory care services. An in-home assessment starts your loved one’s journey toward dignified home care.
