All forms of dementia, whether Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia or other forms, are progressive diseases. Elders and their caregivers’ needs will vary throughout the stages of the disease. Dementia care requires a delicate balance between the autonomy of the person diagnosed and safety and health management.
A strong care team can most successfully approach dementia care. Your care team consists of all of those involved in support and care, starting with family members, friends and community members and involving your medical professionals such as doctors, specialists, therapists and more. The care team naturally evolves as the disease does.
As needs change, both the individual and family caregivers often benefit from outside assistance. This could include consultants such as financial advisors, attorneys, geriatric care managers as well as direct care providers such as home caregivers, home health nurses and assisted care facilities. When you are considering bringing in help from direct care providers, please check out our tips for creating a successful care team and how to prepare the professional home caregiver to assist someone with Alzheimer’s/dementia.
If you decide you may need assistance from home caregivers, search for a home care agency that offers a strong team approach. Here are some things to consider:
- How does the agency select and train their home caregivers? You want an agency that puts its caregivers as a top priority, ensuring they are as well prepared as possible to assist your loved one.
- How does the agency practice a home care team approach? What is done to support caregivers in the field?
- Are caregivers experienced in dementia care/Alzheimer’s specialty care? Does the agency offer training and have management who can offer coaching and support to caregivers in the field as they work with different issues they may encounter?
- Does the agency emphasize the care planning process? (A care plan should be developed from a good home assessment with your input and information on the individual’s needs and desires, and communicated with all care team members.)
For more information on EasyLiving’s Alzheimer’s Specialty Care or resources/assistance for dementia care, call us at 727-447-5845 or click below:
