Alzheimer’s Disease can be pretty terrible; there’s no way around that. Alzheimer’s Disease can rob a person of their memories, their cognitive abilities, and their personality. They can cause the afflicted individual great physical pain as well as emotional pain, to both them and those around them. If a loved one of yours (or you yourself) have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, it’s easy to get depressed and worried about it. But the truth is that many people live long and rewarding lives after receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. But you need to be prepared and you need to have a game plan.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is responsible for the majority of cases of dementia (around 60-70%). The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is typically a slow process and often the first symptom is short-term memory loss. The disease worsens over time. Other symptoms include mood swings, disorientation, problems with language, and loss of motivation. As Alzheimer’s diseases reaches its end stages, bodily functions begin to shut down and the afflicted individual eventually passes away. There is no known cure nor are the causes of Alzheimer’s disease well understood, though research is ongoing. As of 2015, there were approximately 30 million people living with Alzheimer’s world wide.
Living with Alzheimer’s
If the previous paragraph saddened you, you’re not alone. Alzheimer’s does not paint a pretty picture. But it’s not all doom and gloom. While there is not yet any cure, treatment practices for Alzheimer’s disease have advanced significantly in recent years. There are many people who have lived with Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade. Some folks with Alzheimer’s maintain high functionality for a long time. But even for those individuals whose functionality has been severely restricted by Alzheimer’s, living a happy and safe life is highly achievable.
Care for Alzheimer’s
Many families of Alzheimer’s patients look for a senior care facility to house their elderly loved one. There are many great senior care facilities that are perfectly capable of caring for Alzheimer’s patients. But senior care facilities are not always the best place for these individuals. A major symptom of Alzheimer’s is disorientation. Moving somebody with Alzheimer’s out of their home and into a strange building with many strange faces might exacerbate the problem. But what’s the other option?
Alzheimer’s Home Care
Often, the best way to care for somebody with Alzheimer’s is to arrange for Alzheimer’s home care. Alzheimer’s home care sees a caregiver who is especially skilled at helping those with Alzheimer’s provide care in the client’s own home. This means that the person with Alzheimer’s gets to stay in the home that they love surrounded by memories and reminders of who they and their families are.
For recent diagnoses of Alzheimer’s, an Alzheimer’s home caregiver might focus on providing companion care; that is providing social and emotional support while stimulating mental acuity. There are also homemaker services that Alzheimer’s home caregivers can provide; looking after the homes of Alzheimer’s patients and running errands for them. There are also personal care services that see Alzheimer’s home caregivers provide personal and physical care for Alzheimer’s patients.
Get in Touch
If you would like to learn more about Alzheimer’s home care, please don’t hesitate to contact us.