Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be stressful, but it can also give family members the chance to build stronger relationships with their loved ones. For seniors aging in place while receiving Alzheimer’s home care, a few factors need to be considered to ensure they receive the best possible care. Those factors and tips for helping seniors continue to age in place as the disease progresses are explored further below.
Establishing a Safe Environment
Seniors with Alzheimer’s must prioritize their safety because the disease impairs judgment, coordination, and memory. To reduce the chance of accidents, family members may consider making the following home modifications:
- Removing Hazards: Removing clutter from walkways, getting rid of loose carpets or rugs, and making sure furniture is stable is a good start when it comes to removing hazards.
- Install Safety Measures: Family members might consider installing safety measures such as handrails on stairwells, grab bars in bathrooms, and non-slip mats in showers.
- Lock up Harmful Items: It’s hard to think about a loved one harming themselves, but Alzheimer’s often affects seniors’ actions and behaviors. Knowing this, it’s important to lock up things that could be dangerous, such as medications, cleaning materials, and sharp objects.
- Label Rooms and Objects: Simple labels on doors or drawers can help seniors navigate their surroundings and prevent confusion, which could lead to frustration and dangerous behaviors.
Create a Consistent Routine
When providing Alzheimer’s home care, routine and predictability are key. By setting a daily plan, anxiety and agitation are often reduced as seniors know what to expect. Some of the things that require consistency and should be part of the plan include the following:
- Meal Times: Family members should serve meals at the same time each day and try to provide familiar, easy-to-eat foods.
- Personal Care: To keep seniors clean and comfortable, it’s important to schedule bathing, dressing, and grooming routines around the same time every day.
- Bedtime: Establishing a calm and peaceful nighttime routine is essential to helping seniors get a good night’s sleep. This routine might include dimming the lights, playing quiet music, or listening to an audible book.
Use Gentle Communication Techniques
Seniors with Alzheimer’s frequently struggle with communication. They may have difficulty finding the correct words, understanding complex directions, or remembering information from conversations they’ve had. With this in mind, family members should remember these things when communicating with their loved ones:
- Be Patient and Calm: Speak slowly, use simple words, and allow seniors to answer without rushing them.
- Use Non-Verbal Clues: Nonverbal clues can be used to emphasize the message, such as maintaining eye contact, making facial expressions, and softly touching their hand.
- Provide Reassurance: Alzheimer’s can cause seniors to feel confused or upset, so it’s essential to stay optimistic and offer words of comfort.
Consider Professional Support
With more and more seniors choosing to age in place, family members are reaching out for assistance to help them with daily tasks. Home care is a great resource that can support seniors and their families, especially when Alzheimer’s care is needed.
Providing Alzheimer’s care to seniors aging in place requires patience, adaptability, and compassion. With these things in place, as well as incorporating the tips above and getting support from home care, family members can ensure their loved ones have everything they need.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Brookhaven, NY, please contact the caring staff at Help at Home today at (631) 859-3435
Help at Home is a top provider of home care services in Islip, Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown, Brookhaven, Hempstead & Oyster Bay, and surrounding areas on Long Island & NYC. We serve Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties.
Whether you or a loved one is recuperating from an illness or a senior requiring care, we can help. Help at Home is committed to providing quality home care at affordable rates. Helping a patient remain in the comfort and security of their home is our goal. We are the best alternative to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Help at Home caregivers
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