How Home Care Enhances the Lives of Seniors with Dementia
When an aging loved one is diagnosed with dementia, many family members start touring memory care facilities. It’s an assumption most families make that their loved one will need the supportive environment that only a memory care facility can provide. After touring facilities and hearing the various ways these facilities support someone with dementia, families are convinced they need to move their loved one immediately.
However, what’s not often explored in such scenarios is the option that doesn’t require a move. That option is senior home care services provided by Visiting Angels Punta Gorda. Many seniors and families think that home care is only for seniors with no cognitive deficits who need just a little help from time to time. While we are able to provide assistance to such seniors, we also offer dementia care services that can accommodate seniors living with dementia.
Memory care facilities may boast of wonderful care environments and life-enrichment activities, but there are also many benefits to receiving home care for a senior with dementia. It’s certainly an option a family should consider before making a permanent move. If you have a loved one with dementia and aren’t sure what their future care looks like, consider senior home care. Here are a few ways home care enhances the lives of seniors with dementia.
Familiarity
Choosing home care as opposed to a memory care facility doesn’t require a move. This means that your aging loved one stays in their own home, which is familiar and comforting to them. Moving to a memory care facility means they’ll be in an unfamiliar environment. While you can decorate their room to make it homey, it’s not the same as their actual home. Long hallways and unfamiliar common areas can be confusing to someone with dementia. Not knowing where to find a bathroom can cause them to have accidents. Senior home care ensures that seniors with dementia live safely in the familiarity of their own home.
One-on-One Attention
Seniors with dementia need to feel safe and secure. What helps them feel safe and secure is receiving individualized attention. When you choose senior home care, you are opting for your loved one to receive individual, personalized care from a caregiver. They won’t have to contend with other residents for attention. They’ll be encouraged to participate in activities and hobbies that are important to them, instead of being left behind if they aren’t in the mood. Home care caregivers have the opportunity to get to know the mood and behaviors of their clients because their attention is solely focused on one client at a time. They quickly learn what triggers your aging loved one and can build rapport more easily than rotating caregivers at a memory care facility.
Uninterrupted Routine
It may seem strange to think that routines matter to someone with dementia. Yet, routines are vital when it comes to dementia. Routines help seniors with dementia navigate their day. Without a well-established routine, life can become overwhelming. When the routine changes daily, life is all the more disrupted for someone with dementia and can trigger aggressive or anxious behaviors. Senior home care lets seniors keep their familiar routines because care is provided based on the senior’s schedule, and not the facility’s schedule.
Reprieve for Their Spouse
Finally, home care benefits the spouse of the senior with dementia. When a senior is diagnosed with dementia, their spouse typically bears the load of caregiving. This can be very challenging and demanding, especially if the spouse has medical conditions of their own. Yet, moving to a memory care facility means that spouses can’t live together. Instead of separating spouses who’ve shared years together, senior home care is a great option. The caregiver provides the spouse a reprieve. While the spouse with dementia is engaged with the caregiver, the other spouse can run errands, visit with other family members, go for a walk, take a nap, or engage in their own hobbies. The caregiver can also provide a listening ear to the spouse, allowing them to vent and offer suggestions to help the spouse navigate the dementia journey.
If you have an aging loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, please know that Visiting Angels Punta Gorda is here for your senior home care needs. We understand that caring for someone with dementia is overwhelming and challenging. Let us walk this journey with you. We are proud to offer support for seniors who are living with dementia by providing personal care in the comfort of their own home. Our agency is experienced in dementia care, so you can have the confidence that your loved one is receiving quality care tailored to their needs. To learn more about our home care services for seniors with dementia, or for your senior home care needs in general, please contact us today by calling 941-347-8288 Punta Gorda or 239-226-1620 Cape Coral.
Visiting Angels of Punta Gorda, FL
941-347-8288