Tips for Interacting with Seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease

Trying to communicate with a senior with Alzheimer’s disease can be frustrating for both you and them. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, people have trouble finding the right words to express themselves and may say things that seem to make no sense. They oftentimes have trouble understanding what you are saying to them as well.  Sometimes they will repeat the same thing over again or ask repetitive questions. Understanding how to more effectively interact with those with Alzheimer’s can make time spent together more enjoyable for both of you.

Be patient. It can take time for your loved one to come up with what they want to say and find the right words. They may lose their train of thought and need some prompting or direction. If you do not understand what they are trying to communicate, ask a follow up question for more information. Or ask if they can point to what they want. Sometimes even if they do use an incorrect word you can still figure out what they mean based on other clues.

Speak clearly and repeat yourself. Make sure that you are speaking in a clear voice at a reasonable level. You may need to speak a little more slowly to give them time to process what you are saying. If you need to repeat yourself, state what you said in the same way to avoid confusion. They may not have caught it all the first time.

Avoid arguing. Understand that with the Alzheimer’s disease, your senior’s ability to reason can decrease. They may say things that you disagree with but try to avoid correcting them. Simply move on to another topic. Arguing can make them more agitated and does nothing to improve the situation.

Minimize distractions. It can be easy for your loved one to get distracted by noises, movement, and other activities. Try to go somewhere quiet to talk so that they are better able to focus. This can also help them to keep their train of thought. However, you can use items as cues or reminders to trigger memories, support conversation, and promote understanding.

Stay positive. As their memory begins to fade, it can change their behavior. They are not intentionally being argumentative or disrespectful if they forget something. Focus on the positives and enjoy the time you are spending together. Share happy stories about things that are happening.

Be patient and supportive as your loved one speaks to show you care and are paying attention. Encourage them to continue trying to explain themselves as you listen quietly. Just because communication may be more difficult does not mean that the emotion and feeling are not there.  If your elderly parent is becoming more confused, they may benefit from dementia care through an in-home caregiver. The caregiver will be trained in how to work with individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s and support their needs and quality of life. Always Best Care offers high quality dementia care to seniors in the Cedar Valley. To schedule a consultation and find out more about how we can help, call (877) 292-2126 or visit us online.

Using In-Home Care to Care for Patients with Dementia

When a family member is diagnosed with dementia, this can be a difficult time for families. This progressive condition affects the person’s mental capabilities including memory, judgment, and reasoning. It can also impact their personality and behavior. Many patients are able to maintain some level of independence as the condition progresses; however, they may need some assistance.

In-home care can be a beneficial option when assisted living or nursing homes are not yet appropriate placements. Having a caregiver come to the patient’s home allows them to remain in a familiar environment and go about their daily routine. The caregiver provides them with any support or assistance they may need in completing tasks and is a positive source of companionship. 

Evaluate your loved one’s needs. Patients with dementia progress at different rates. Determine how much and what kinds of assistance your loved one needs. They may still be able to do many things on their own but need supervision to ensure their safety and well-being. The home care provider can help you to make these decisions and create a plan of care that works for your situation. As your family member needs more help, the level care of may be changed accordingly.

Educate in-home staff about your family member. Talk to the in-home caregiver about the person with dementia’s background and life. Oftentimes patients have clearer memories of their past than they do of more recent events. Let the caregiver know about things the person is proud of and has accomplished in their life. This can provide talking points and encourage more engaging discussions. Also let them know about the person’s routine and activities that they enjoy. Maintaining familiarity and routine can help to ease transitions and allow the person to feel more confident in their abilities.

Know what services are available. In-home care can cover a wide range of services including assistance and supervision with cooking, cleaning, personal care, laundry, exercise, shopping, visiting, and other activities of daily living.  This can alleviate some of the stress on families to make sure that someone is available to tend to these needs. It also allows the patient to remain more independent and stay in their home for as long as possible while staying safer and ensuring that their daily needs are met. They also have someone to keep them company and follow up on their progress and concerns that may arise.

In-home care can be a valuable option if your loved one has dementia yet you want to help them continue living as independent and high quality of a life as possible. With different levels of care available, the caregiver can tailor their services to your loved one’s changing needs and adapt with them.

Bathroom Safety Tips for Seniors

Ensuring that the home is a safe place is important for seniors as they age. Family members want to feel secure in knowing that their loved one is able to move around safely and the risk for falls or other injuries is minimized. One room that can pose numerous concerns is the bathroom. However, there are many ways to help improve safety while allowing seniors to maintain some independence.

• Lay down non-skid mats. Rugs and towels can slide easily across the floor. Non-skid mats have a rubber gripping on the back that helps to keep them in place while also keeping water off of the floor. Place mats in front of the bathtub, shower, sink, or toilet. It can also be helpful to put a skid-proof shower mat inside the shower. The bathtub or shower floor can become slippery with water and soap, but a shower mat can improve stability.
• Place supplies within easy reach. Readjust where shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, towels, and other toiletries are located to reduce stretching and reaching. Having them within arm’s reach can allow seniors to better keep their balance.
• Install grab bars. If your loved one has some mobility or balance issues, consider installing grab bars near the shower and toilet. Towel racks and other fixtures are not meant to bear excess weight, but a grab bar is intended for just this purpose. The person can hold on while climbing in and out of the shower or getting on or off of the toilet, allowing them to steady themselves and reducing fall risk.
• Use a raised toilet seat. This reduces the distance between standing and sitting and can make it easier to transfer between the two positions.
• Install a transfer seat or place a shower chair in the shower or tub. A transfer seat allows your loved one to sit down and gently slide their legs over the side of the tub so that they do not have to try to step over to get in. In addition, a shower chair gives them the option of sitting so that they do not slip and fall while showering. This is beneficial for those who may have balance or mobility issues or tire easily.
• Plug in nightlights. Many seniors wake during the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Ensure that the path between their bedroom and the bathroom is well lit and that the bathroom has adequate lighting as well. Being able to see where they are going and what they are doing can reduce the risk of falling or having other injuries.

Taking the time to implement these simple fixes can improve the safety of your senior’s bathroom. It may also be necessary to provide assistance during certain activities to further ensure their safety and well-being. Periodically evaluating your loved one’s abilities can help guide additional steps for care and assistance.

Key Tips for Senior Caregivers

When you’re spending time taking care of your elderly loved one, it can become easy to neglect your own needs. You’re so focused on making sure they eat well, get enough rest, and remain in good health that you forget to focus on these aspects of your own life. In order to provide excellent care while still feeling your best, keep these tips in mind:

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

There’s no reason for a caretaker to try to shoulder this entire burden on their own. Elder care services professionals can make sure that your elderly loved one receives everything they need to be healthy, while allowing you to enjoy some quiet time to yourself. If you’re constantly worn out and stressed, consider bringing in someone, even if is just a few days a week, to assist. When it comes to elderly care at home, both the senior and the caregiver benefit from this respite.

Stop trying to achieve perfection

Many family caregivers drive themselves nuts striving to achieve perfection when it just isn’t possible. Instead of worrying about accomplishing everything perfectly, simply focus on making sure that your senior is happy and well cared for. It doesn’t matter if there are fresh flowers in the vase or if a three-course meal is prepared each night. Work on proper nutrition and mental wellness for both of you, and abandon the notion of perfection. No one, no matter how competent or devoted they are, can achieve it all. 

Take personal time each day

Many caregivers are so focused on providing for their elderly parent that they lose sight of their own needs. To prevent this from happening, take time each day to reset and recharge. Read a good book, enjoy a glass of wine, see a friend, or take a yoga class. This time alone is highly important for both physical and mental health. According to those who work in home care, Iowa families must ensure that those sharing caretaker responsibilities don’t neglect personal needs too.

By acknowledging limitations and building in time for self-care, adult children are able to successfully attend to their elderly parent’s needs. With the help of a home care professional, the caretaker can be well rested, while still ensuring that their senior is in good physical and mental health. 

The Home Modifications Necessary For Seniors Aging in Place

Many seniors prefer to age in place, which means that they want to enjoy their later years in the comfort of their own home. While aging in place can be great for a person’s mental health, it’s important to make necessary modifications to keep the residence safe as a person gets older. Some modifications that will help your elderly loved one to age in place successfully include:

Removing area rugs and other tripping hazards

Your elderly parent’s home can quickly become hazardous if the floor is littered with cords, clothing, and other items that they may end up tripping on. Additionally, the corners of area rugs can start to lift over time, creating another unsafe situation for your loved one. To prevent this from happening, make sure to pay close attention to the floor of your elderly loved one’s home. It should be clear of any potential hazards at all times. Even small items can create a disastrous situation. 

Replace any light bulbs that have burnt out

In order to keep your elderly loved one safe, their home must be well lit. This means quickly replacing light bulbs that have burnt out, thus preventing your senior from having to wander through their residence in the dark. When it comes to in-home care for elderly individuals, good visibility is essential.

Placing grab bars throughout the property

Getting off balance for even a few seconds can put your senior at serious risk of suffering from a devastating fall. Install grab bars throughout the home to make it easy for an elderly individual to quickly regain their balance should they start to get off-center. Place them in hallways, in the kitchen, and especially in the bathroom. In many instances, they can mean the difference between life and death.

Invest in a shower seat

According to professionals in home care, Iowa families should consider installing a shower seat in their senior’s bathtub. This enables them to enjoy a shower without having to worry about standing on their feet and maneuvering around for an extended period of time. Shower seats drastically reduce the risk of in-shower falls, and can enable your loved one to enjoy their bathing experience without worrying about having an accident. This and other minor modifications can make a huge difference when it comes to your senior’s safety as they relax at home. 

How to Effectively Care For Your Senior When You’re Far Away

It’s challenging to be far away from an aging parent, but this distance doesn’t mean that their level of care needs to suffer as a result. In fact, many families help to provide highly effective care for the people they love, even when they are in other parts of the country. If you’re dealing with a long-distance care giving situation, keep these tips in mind:

Rely on siblings, family members, or friends

It’s common for family members who are far away to feel guilt about the distance. However, understand that this guilt is not productive. Instead, use your resources. Can you ask other family members in the area to check in on your senior? Can you use your siblings for assistance? There is no shame in asking for help. Your elderly loved one’s well-being should remain the top priority.

Plan some time

If you’re worried about assessing your senior’s living situation for yourself, then block off a solid chunk of time to do so. You’ll need at least a few days to truly understand how they live and where they could use some help. When you go to spend some time with them, consider the following points:

• Is their home free of clutter that could cause them to trip? Are rugs secured and are all cords tucked away?
• Is their home well lit? 
• Do they have additional support in the bathroom, such as grip bars or other tools to help with balance?
• Is their pantry well stocked? Has the food in the refrigerator gone bad? Do they have small snacks available in between meals? 
• Is their medication well organized? Are they taking it according to schedule?

According to professionals who work in home care, Iowa families can assess these important elements of everyday life in order to understand how their senior is doing and what kind of help they may need. Even if you are not able to stay to provide this care long term, you can put an eldercare services professional in place who is able to handle this important task. 

Just because you’re not physically close to your senior, doesn’t mean that their level of care has to suffer. By working with an in-home care provider, Iowa families can help their loved ones to enjoy a safe and happy life in their home. 

Top Tech Tools That Allow Your Senior to Age in Place

Technology is making it easier than ever for your senior to stay right where they are as they continue to age. Thanks to these gadgets they can continue to enjoy the comfort of their own home while you can feel content knowing that they are safe. When it comes to in-home care, Iowa families can get peace of mind using these tools. Some of the items that you should know about today include:

StoryWorth

This beautiful device brings family members together for fun and a deeper understanding of family history. Using this tool, family members get to learn about one another, while discovering how they interact as a unit. In fact, StoryWorth enables you to invite up to six family members to write their own stories using e-mail, their website, or by recording audio and uploading pictures. Piece these stories together to get an accurate look at what that family is really about. 

WalkJoy

If you’re nervous about your senior as they move around their home, eldercare services professionals say that this is the tool for you. This platform addresses fall risks, including unhealthy walking conditions and other potentially dangerous situations. Fix these issues before they become a major problem. 

The Prevent program

This program uses clinical research to offer digital tracking tools, coaching, support, and other programs needed to help stop diabetes. The tool can coach your senior toward better health, allowing them to ward off diabetes and the host of other problems that often go with it. 

CareSolver

Caring for an elderly loved one can be a challenge, and CareSolver’s Care Plan Library can be a powerful resource. This reference tool offers details about financial matters and legal issues, and also highlights some other key free resources that a caregiver might need.

CareAtHand

When you or a residential care professional see your elderly loved one on a daily basis, it can be hard to get a real sense of how that person’s health is holding up. This tool relies on predictive algorithms to accurately track the health of that patient. It makes it easier to spot when this person’s health is worsening, allowing for appropriate adjustments in medical care as a result. When it comes to handling care for elderly family members, use technology to make the process easier and safer for everyone involved.

Fun and Festive Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Your Senior

There are plenty of different ways to get your senior into the spirit of Valentine’s Day, regardless of their physical ability level. Spending some time together makes the day a heartwarming one for your elderly loved one. According to those who work in in-home care, Iowa families can get their loved ones into the spirit of the day without having to spend large amounts of money. Spread the love and cheer associated with the holiday by partaking in one or more of the following festive and fun activities:

Bake cookies

Take some time to make heart-shaped sugar cookies together. Use cookie cutters to craft the treats into the desired shape. Once they’re done, get out the red and pink frosting, sprinkles, and other decorative elements and get working. Your senior will love this creative and tasty project. 

Host a get-together on the day itself

Enjoy time with friends and loved ones on this special holiday by putting together a Valentine’s Day tea party. Serve your heart-shaped cookies and a selection of teas. You may also consider offering “finger foods,” like small sandwiches or a cheese plate. Your senior will delight in getting to spend time with the people they love the most.

Create treat bags for school children

Delight all of the students in a grandchild’s classroom by assembling Valentine’s Day treat bags. This can include healthy snacks, notes, pencils, candy, and other selections. Package them up in a festive bag with ribbon and send them off to the students. Depending on your elderly loved one’s ability level, you may even consider bringing them to hand deliver the treats. This allows them to see the joy on the kids’ faces upon receiving their surprise. Elder care services professionals explain that doing something nice for others provides a powerful surge of feel-good emotions for your senior.

According to those who work in elder care, Cedar Rapids families can also spend some time going through old pictures with their seniors on Valentine’s Day. They’ll get to reminisce about the love and positive memories they’ve experienced over the years. This can help to make the holiday special for your elderly loved one.

Should You Choose Home Care or Assisted Living?

As your elderly loved one ages, they may find that they’re unable to accomplish the tasks necessary to care for themselves and their home. There are several different ways to ensure that your senior is getting the assistance they need in order to live a happier life. 

Assisted living versus home care

According to those who work in assisted living, Iowa families should understand that this option is beneficial for seniors who are able to attend to some of the tasks of daily living, but not all. Perhaps your elderly loved one still enjoys socializing with friends and reading a good book, but struggles to do major grocery shopping trips or to remember when to take their medication. Residing in an assisted living facility would enable them to enjoy the hobbies they love, without having to worry about having the energy and strength to attend to these necessary chores.

Both assisted living facilities, like the Corridor, and help from a home care professional are viable options when it comes to keeping your senior happy, healthy, and safe. However, there are some differences to know about these two eldercare options. When it comes to in-home care, Iowa seniors cite privacy as a major reason why they enjoy this option.

The home care option ensures that this senior has food in their refrigerator, that they are bathed, and that they take their medication. However, they do not have to worry about living in close quarters with other people as they would in an assisted living facility. 

Home health care is a smart option for someone who is able to handle most household duties, yet struggles with more physically intensive tasks. An assisted living facility, on the other hand, is better suited for those who are still cognitively aware, yet lack the ability to safely enter and exit the shower, remember to take daily medications, or prepare meals. 

For many people, cost is a major deciding factor when it comes to choosing between these two options. Home health care plans are often highly customizable, depending on that senior’s needs, thus making them appealing.