Getting In-Home Help for Senior with Dementia
Caring for an elderly loved one with dementia is a real challenge, as family caregivers work hard to meet their day-to-day physical and emotional needs.
One of the best ways to ensure that seniors have all the help they need and are not left alone is to hire a home care provider. Not only will the in-home care provider take good care of the aging adult, but they also provide respite for the family caregiver who is in danger of becoming overstressed.
Home Care Providers Help with Safety
Dementia affects a senior’s judgment and reasoning ability, making even the most common household situations potentially dangerous. To keep their loved one safe, the family caregiver needs to make modifications to the home and let everyone on the caregiving team know about safety protocol for the home.
For example, seniors with dementia are prone to wandering, and they leave the safety of the home to move around aimlessly outside. Because the aging adult can’t be left alone, having a home care provider to attend them can prevent dangerous wandering.
Home Care Providers Help with Health and Wellness
Aging adults with dementia often lose track of time and place, and that makes it hard for them to remember to eat, go to bed on time and attend to hygiene issues. When a home care provider is caring for them, seniors get reminded about what they need to do and can have assistance at any point. Home care providers can prepare meals, remind seniors about taking medication, and so forth.
Many seniors are also at high risk for slip and fall accidents. These are usually caused by things like clutter on the floor, wet weather, poor lighting and being unaware of tripping or slipping hazards. Home care providers can help maintain an environment that reduces the risk of slip and fall accidents by seniors.
Home Care Providers Help with Burnout
There’s no doubt that caring for an aging relative with dementia can take a toll on family caregivers, physically and emotionally. It’s also hard for them to take regular breaks to recharge their mental health batteries. Hiring a reliable and professional home care provider to provide some relief can be a big help to family caregivers who need some respite.
Without regular breaks, family caregivers run the risk of developing chronic stress and caregiver burnout. When the body is in constant stress, it can have significant negative health impacts such as high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues and even an increase in the risk of heart disease. Chronic stress can also lead to anxiety and depression. With an in-home care provider to take some of the responsibilities, family caregivers can devote some time in the week to themselves.
Caring for a relative with dementia will showcase both good days together with some tough ones. However, with supportive resources such as in-home professional care, both family caregivers and aging adults with dementia will be much better off.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Elba, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.