Caring for an aging family member or loved one with dementia can be a valuable but challenging task. As dementia progresses, it can put even more strain on family caregivers.
If you’re a family caregiver for a loved one with dementia, there is dementia help and support available—you don’t need to do everything independently.
This article shares dementia care information that everyone caring for an adult family member with dementia needs to know. We’ll talk about:
- Finding in-home dementia care
- Full-time dementia care at home
- How to get care for someone with dementia
- Hiring caregivers trained in caring for dementia patients in their home
- Memory care home care
- And much more
Keep reading to learn more about the dementia care services available and how to find the best caregivers to provide in-home help for dementia patients.
In-home Dementia Care
Dementia is a general term for memory loss that affects someone’s thinking ability, behavior, and independent lifestyle. Dementia is a progressive disease, meaning that it grows worse over time—from early- (mild) to middle- (moderate) and finally to late-stages (severe).
Because dementia is progressive and affects such a wide range of functions, individuals with dementia usually require increasing levels of care. The two most common forms of care are:
- A spouse or adult children caring for a dementia family member at home
- An in-home caregiver providing home care to dementia patients
As dementia progresses, family members often seek additional support from part-time or full-time in-home dementia care providers.
Caring for a Dementia Family Member at Home
The beginning stages of dementia start with mild symptoms that require a family member to provide less active care. In the early stages of dementia, an individual may experience slight difficulties with tasks such as:
- Coming up with the right word or name
- Remembering names when introduced to new people
- Losing or misplacing a valuable object
- Experiencing increased trouble with planning or organizing
A family caregiver may simply need to provide slight reminders and have patience during daily routines.
Once dementia hits the middle and late stages, more hands-on care is necessary. These later stages bring more serious cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges to the person with dementia and family caregivers. Loved ones with dementia may begin experiencing:
- More serious memory loss
- Dramatic mood swings and changes
- Change in personality and behavior
- Increased tendency to wander or get lost
- Confusion about familiar surroundings, events, or people
- Difficulty communicating, walking, sitting, or swallowing
During these later stages, family caregivers begin to seek in-home care for elderly individuals with dementia.
Professional In-home Caregiver
When the level of home care needed by an elderly person with dementia becomes too complex or stressful for their family, hiring an in-home caregiver can be an excellent option.
In the early and middle stages of dementia, an in-home caregiver can provide an extra set of eyes and hands around your loved one with dementia. In-home care gives family caregivers respite from caregiving. This respite from caregiving gives them time to take care of their own needs while they receive personal care support for the dementia care load.
Once dementia hits the late stage, in-home caregivers can provide full-time dementia care at your loved one’s home. They’ll stay with your family member around-the-clock to provide assistance and safety in the daytime and nighttime hours. Full-time home help with elderly parents with dementia benefits you and your aging loved one.
However, it’s not enough to hire a caregiver. You’ll want to hire a caregiver from an agency that cares about and understands caring for dementia patients in their homes.
How to Choose the Best In-home Dementia Help
When looking for part- or full-time senior dementia care, you’ll want to do research and check into different home care agencies. To help in your search, we’ve provided the top four characteristics to look for in a home care agency.
1. Knowledgeable Care Managers
The first thing to look for is an in-home care company with knowledgeable care managers. Care managers should be professional registered nurses or master’s-level social workers who know the medical, emotional, and social issues involved in caring for someone with dementia. Since these care managers will be the ones working with you and your loved one to create and implement a care plan, you want to know you’re receiving expert assistance.
2. Personalized Care Plans
Second, find an agency that creates personalized care plans for each client. Every individual and situation is slightly different. Your loved one with dementia needs care in a way that someone else might not.
The best in-home dementia care services will take time to listen to you and your family member’s needs. Then, they’ll tailor-make a care plan that fits your situation.
3. Highly-Trained Caregivers
The best in-home care agencies will specifically train their caregivers to provide care to those with dementia. They’ll ensure that their caregivers have patience and understanding in how to best come alongside people with dementia. Most in-home caregivers should also have memory care home care skills—playing games and doing activities beneficial for those with dementia.
4. Ongoing Care and Support
Finally, you’ll want to find in-home dementia care that doesn’t stop once the care plan is established. Your dementia family member’s situation or level of care may change. It’s best to hire a care company that checks in with you regularly and is ready to administer new levels of care when necessary.
Where to Find In-home Dementia Care
Caring for a family member with dementia at home can start simple and easy. But as the disease progresses, family caregivers can find themselves overwhelmed with their loved one’s dementia needs.
Thankfully, there is dementia help available. In-home care agencies can supply experienced caregivers to provide part- or full-time in-home help for dementia patients.
Stowell Associates is a leading dementia home care provider in the state of Wisconsin. With Stowell, we promise that you’ll receive:
- Help from knowledgeable Care Managers who are registered nurses and master’s level social workers
- A personalized Care Plan that’s perfectly suited to your family member’s needs
- Highly-trained Caregivers who know the ins and outs of dementia care
- On-going care and support throughout the entire care process
Contact us today to talk with one of our expert Care Managers. We’re ready to provide your family member with the dementia care they need.
