Family caregivers who have a loved one with dementia may reach a point where they need help caring for dementia patients at home.
Are you a spouse or family caregiver looking after a loved one with dementia?
Do you have the time, energy, and resources to provide dementia care yourself?
Have you been looking for in-home care for seniors with dementia?
You may not need in-home care for dementia patients right away. But as dementia progresses, it can put increasing strain on spouses or family caregivers. An increased level of care can lead to exhaustion and burnout.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of in-home help for Alzheimer’s patients available. Home care agencies can provide help caring for dementia patients at home, like personal caregivers for seniors with dementia.
In this article, we’re sharing some of the top home-based services for dementia caregivers. Keep reading to learn how you can get professional help caring for your loved one with dementia.
The Best Dementia Care Options for Family Caregivers
Caring for a loved one with dementia is both a rewarding and challenging experience. Whether you’re a spouse or other family member, you may feel that it’s your duty to provide hands-on dementia care to your loved one.
However, there may come a time when you need help caring for your loved one with dementia at home.
The two best ways to receive professional dementia help are through:
- Professional Care Coaching
- Expert In-home Dementia Care
Either of these will aid you in providing quality care to your spouse or family member with dementia. Here’s a more in-depth look at these two home care services for elderly adults with dementia.
Professional Care Coaching
Many spouses or family members desire to care for their loved ones, but they don’t have the tools, resources, or experience.
If you want to provide the hands-on care your loved one needs but are unsure how to do it, then care coaching might be an excellent option for you. Care coaching is a remote service that’s available to anyone from anywhere in the U.S.
Care coaching provides you with a one-on-one phone call with a masters-level social worker. Every month, you’ll receive 75 minutes to talk with your care coach. You can use it all at one time or spread it out over the whole month.
Each time you connect with your coach, they’ll:
- Ask questions to assess your current situation
- Answer any questions you have
- Help you create a personalized care plan for your loved one
- Give helpful insight into new diagnoses or conditions
- Provide resources to help you manage your stress
The goal of care coaching is to empower you as a caregiver so you can:
- Improve your loved’s safety
- Enhance your loved one’s quality of life
- Ease your caregiver burdens
By connecting you with a trained eldercare professional, care coaching equips you to handle the everyday burdens of dementia care.
Expert In-home Dementia Care
In-home dementia care is another option for those who are unable to care for their loved ones themself.
With in-home care, a home care agency sends trained dementia in-home caregivers to your loved one’s home. They provide companionship and hands-on assistance throughout the day, night, or both.
The two most common types of in-home care for seniors with dementia are:
- Respite care
- 24-hour dementia care
Here are some specifics about how each of these types of care provides help for dementia patients at home.
Respite Care
Respite care offers short-term relief for family caregivers. It provides some personal time away from caregiving so that spouses or family caregivers can refresh and refocus.
Respite caregivers go directly to your loved one’s place of residence for convenience and comfort. They have expert training in dementia care and can often aid in in-home memory care.
Respite caregivers can help with:
- Dressing and grooming
- Meal prep and feeding
- Transportation to and from appointments
- Companionship and social interaction
While the respite caregiver spends time with your loved one, you’ll have time to do some self-care or accomplish personal tasks.
Self-care is essential for family caregivers. The better you care for yourself, the better you can care for your loved one. Without regular rest from caregiving, you can grow increasingly overwhelmed, stressed, or tired. Respite care provides a valuable break for family caregivers from caregiving.
However, respite care isn’t a good long-term solution for someone with late-stage dementia who may need around-the-clock care.
24-hour Dementia Care
As dementia progresses, your loved one may need more serious assistance and supervision with daily life tasks. It’s also common for individuals with dementia to wander and have difficulty sleeping at night. In the late stages of dementia, dementia care can become a full-time job.
Full-time in-home care for seniors with dementia is the best way for family caregivers to:
- Provide their loved ones with expert care all-day
- Receive peace of mind and relief from the duties of caregiving
24-hour dementia caregivers usually work in three 8-hour or two 12-hour shifts. These shifts ensure that someone is always with your loved one and available to help. Full-time caregivers aren’t allowed to sleep while on duty so that they’re constantly attentive to your loved one.
Overnight caregivers for seniors with dementia are especially beneficial during nighttime hours, as they can help your loved one with:
- Getting in and out of bed
- Getting to and from the bathroom
- Toileting and incontinence support
- Wandering or confusion
Getting 24-hour dementia care is an excellent option for family caregivers looking after someone with late-stage dementia.
Other Dementia Care Resources
Apart from in-home care services, there are other organizations that offer resources to family caregivers looking after someone with dementia.
One of the best resources is the Alzheimer’s Association. This association boasts a wide range of online resources including:
- General information about dementia
- Help and support for caregivers
- A 24/7 call line
There are also local chapters around the country for individuals to get involved or find a support group.
Additionally, some state health departments offer programs, services, and resources to families caring for someone with dementia. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has online resources and a state plan to aid in dementia care. There are also local Aging Care Resources Centers throughout Wisconsin that provide programs and services for people with dementia.
Check out the Alzheimer’s Association or your local health department for publicly accessible dementia resources near you.
Where to Get In-home Care for Seniors with Dementia
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a rewarding and challenging duty. Even if your loved one is in the early stages of dementia, you may need help or rest from caregiving. There are many home-based services for dementia that can provide valuable support and assistance with dementia care.
Some of the best ways to get help caring for dementia patients at home are Care Coaching or dementia in-home caregivers.
Care Coaching allows family caregivers to talk with a trained eldercare professional for 75 minutes every month. These professionals help empower family caregivers with the tools, resources, and support they need to care for their loved ones themself.
Alternatively, family caregivers can receive hands-on help caring for loved ones through other dementia in-home caregivers. With respite care, caregivers take over the primary caregiver duties for a few hours to provide short-term relief for family caregivers. 24-hour caregivers for seniors with dementia stay with your loved one all day and night.
At Stowell Associates, we’ve been providing quality dementia home care services for nearly 40 years. Our Care Coaches, Care Managers, and Caregivers all have extensive training in dementia care. They’re qualified to provide in-home memory care and other in-home care for seniors with dementia, like:
- Personal care
- Joining in household activities
- Meaningful, engaging activities
- Diffusing challenging behaviors
Whether you need more resources as a family caregiver or are looking for in-person help caring for a loved one with dementia, Stowell Associates is ready to help.
Contact us today to get in touch with our Care Advisors. They’ll take time to understand your situation and help you decide what type of care your loved one needs.
