Get the Help Your Family Needs to Handle Alzheimer’s

Back in 2020, it was estimated that 5.8 million Americans had Alzheimer’s disease. Two years later, that estimate has grown by 700,000 people. Alzheimer’s is a prevalent health condition that impacts more and more families every year. Your dad has Alzheimer’s. It’s still in the early stages, but your family is getting prepared. Now is a great time to discuss the benefits of personal care at home services.

Personal Care at Home Berkeley Heights NJ - Get the Help Your Family Needs to Handle Alzheimer's

Personal Care at Home Berkeley Heights NJ – Get the Help Your Family Needs to Handle Alzheimer’s

Family caregivers often struggle to balance their jobs with their parents’ care needs. Add in the need to visit friends, run errands, and have time for self-care, it’s a lot to handle. You might be teaming up with your brothers and sisters to cover your dad’s needs, but there are gaps when you have to leave your dad alone.

Personal care at home services is exactly what you need. Focus on yourself without leaving your dad alone all day. Learn more about the services that caregivers offer to ensure your dad is supported as Alzheimer’s progresses.

What Does Personal Care at Home Cover?

Right now, your dad may be okay at home alone. He’s not finding it too hard to do his normal daily activities. That can change quickly. He might go to take a nap and forget he was cooking scrambled eggs. A fire breaks out, and he’s in bed with his door closed. That’s just one possible scenario.

He’s used to going for a walk each afternoon. One day, your dad is out and nothing looks familiar. He doesn’t recognize his house. He’s lost and keeps walking hoping he’ll remember how to get home. Not every person with Alzheimer’s wanders and gets lost, but many do.

When you hire personal care at home aides, your dad has someone to supervise his activities. If he’s cooking dinner, he has a caregiver for cueing. His caregiver reminds him to stir his eggs, take them off the burner, and put them on a plate.

Caregivers can join him for walks. If he gets lost, his companion shows him how to get back home. You’re not at work constantly checking cameras or calling him to make sure he’s safe. It’s one of the most important reasons to arrange daily home care services.

Family Caregivers Also Gain Support

Personal care at home allows you to take breaks as a family caregiver. You don’t have to be the only one caring for your dad. You can visit friends, sleep in, or go to work without worrying about your dad being at home alone.

It’s also helpful having someone skilled in Alzheimer’s home care assisting your dad with his household chores. He has a caregiver to ensure he moves the wash load into the dryer before it sits too long. Your dad’s caregivers help with housework, errands, transportation, and organization. Call our agency to discuss prices for personal care at home services.

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Personal Care at Home Services in Berkeley Heights NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris, and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




Dementia Interactions: How to Make Them Better

Does your elderly loved one have dementia? If so, you may be trying to think of all the ways that you can make things better with them or for them. One of the things that might be on your mind is how you interact with your elderly loved one and how they interact with you. The good news is there are numerous tips that can help you and their personal care at home providers to make dementia interactions more productive and better in general.

Staying Calm

Personal Care at Home Bernardsville NJ - Dementia Interactions: How to Make Them Better

Personal Care at Home Bernardsville NJ – Dementia Interactions: How to Make Them Better

The number one thing that you should do when interacting with your elderly loved one if they have dementia is to stay calm. People who have this disease aren’t able to control their emotions like you can. They get irritable and are more sensitive to random things throughout the day. If you can stay calm when your elderly loved one is being irritable, it could help them to calm down quicker. If you feel on edge, it could be a good idea to take time off from taking care of your elderly loved one, even if it is just for an afternoon. You can have personal care at home providers fill in for you.

Approaching Properly

How do you generally approach your elderly loved one? Do you notice that they often get upset if you talk behind them or if they can’t see you when you are speaking? If so, it may be helpful to know that approaching your elderly loved one differently could change the interactions you have with them. In fact, studies show that approaching someone who has dementia from in front of them, can help them to stay calmer throughout your interactions. Now that you know this, you may want to start changing how you walk up to or talk to your elderly loved one.

Asking One Thing at a Time

Have you noticed when you talk to your elderly loved one they get overwhelmed? For example, if you ask your elderly loved one to do something, are you asking them to do multiple things at a time. You might ask them to pick up a plate, put it in the sink, and put something else away. People who have dementia can’t easily process too many directions at once. Later in the disease, it is impossible for them to do this. The interactions you have with your elderly loved one would go better if you ask them to do one thing at a time. If there are tasks that you or personal care at home providers can do to help your elderly loved one, that would be helpful, as well.

Having You and Personal Care at Home Services Trying These Tips

These are some of the ways that you can make interactions with someone who has dementia more productive and generally better. If you haven’t been doing these things, try doing even one of them. See how much it positively impacts your elderly loved one.

Sources: https://www.nia.nih.gov/about/living-long-well-21st-century-strategic-directions-research-aging/research-suggests-positive

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Personal Care at Home Services in Bernardsville NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.