Caring for someone with dementia is hard work, and you may find your responsibilities keep piling up as time goes on. While it’s best to seek help soon after your senior loved one’s diagnosis, you can make a plan for assistance at any time. In fact, people often don’t realize the importance of having help until their loved ones reach the later stages of the condition. Recognizing you need help is a sign of strength, and you can take these steps to make sure you have what you need to continue caring for your loved one.
Identify What You Need Help with Today
Your first step is to figure out what you need help with regarding your loved one’s care. As you think about this, remember professional home care services are available that can help you with even the most mundane tasks. For example, you can have someone cook meals for your loved one or perform light housekeeping tasks. When someone tackles the menial chores, you have more time to spend doing enjoyable activities with your loved one.
Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
Think About the Future
You must also remember that dementia progresses through a series of stages. While your loved one might be okay doing many things independently today, tomorrow may be a different story. Think about the issues that could arise in the future, such as your loved one becoming at risk for wandering. Knowing what types of assistance you may need in the future allows you to you start building relationships with caregivers who can help more when the time comes.
Ask Your Loved One About His or Her Preferences
In the earlier stages of dementia, getting your loved one involved in the search for help can give him or her a sense of control over his or her future. You’ll also feel better knowing anything you do later is aligned with your loved one’s wishes. Your parent may prefer to age in place and have a professional caregiver help with personal tasks such as bathing. These are all good things to be aware of so you can begin to include them in your care plans.
Aging in place can present a few challenges for seniors living with dementia. However, they can still live independently at home with the help of professional dementia care. Edmonton families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide their elderly loved ones with mental and social stimulation, timely medication reminders, assistance with meal prep, and much more. Our caregivers are available around the clock to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life.
Host a Meeting with Your Family
Many caregivers find their families are excellent resources for help. Your sibling may be willing to keep your loved one occupied while you run to the grocery store, or your brother-in-law might be able to tackle the household maintenance tasks. Depending on your family’s dynamics, you may also want to include them in the selection of professional caregivers.
Explore Your Options with Professional Home Care
While your family is helpful, you should also remember that everyone gets busy. Professional home care services include things such as having someone watch your loved one overnight to make sure he or she doesn’t wander off. You’ll also find professional caregivers have ideas they can share with you that make caring for your loved one easier when you’re on duty.
Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Edmonton at-home care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Home Care Assistance is here to help. If you need professional home care for your loved one, our Care Managers are just a phone call away. Reach out to Home Care Assistance today at (780) 490-7337.