As a family caregiver, helping an aging loved one with Alzheimer’s maintain his or her physical, mental, and emotional health is an essential aspect of caregiving, and so are your personal needs. Therefore, it’s best to develop and maintain an effective plan, especially as Alzheimer’s progresses and becomes more challenging. The tips below could lead to relief for you as a caregiver while boosting your loved one’s quality of life.
Encourage Social Activity
Spending time with family members, friends, and other seniors can benefit aging adults living at home. Their social activity may decrease due to Alzheimer’s and because they live alone with a caregiver. Therefore, you need to encourage your loved one to take on new activities that lead to communication with others and learning about and sharing new things. These activities can lower the odds of depression and increase memory and cognitive strength.
The progression of your loved one’s Alzheimer’s or the presence of other health issues may make it difficult for him or her to socialize regularly. There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to address if their families opt for professional home care service. You can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep your loved one safe and comfortable while aging in place.
Use Clear Communication
Good communication can help seniors with Alzheimer’s maintain a sense of self while boosting their confidence in other relationships. Despite the disease worsening and making it challenging to speak clearly or communicate altogether, there are ways to customize the process so you and your loved one can interact effectively and meaningfully. For example, using shorter words and speaking slowly could help your loved one keep up with conversations. Message boards and other communication tools could also increase your loved one’s safety.
If your loved one’s Alzheimer’s is in an advanced stage, you could easily feel overwhelmed, but help is available. Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors to manage without assistance, and it can be just as challenging for families who don’t have experience in providing Alzheimer’s care. Assisting Hands Home Care Livingston provides Alzheimer’s care seniors and their families can depend on. Our caregivers help seniors with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related conditions live happier and healthier lives.
Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits
Poor nutrition can cause weight loss and behavioral challenges for seniors with Alzheimer’s, so a good meal plan is vital. Consuming healthy vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, and beverages could protect brain cells that are more exposed to damage due to the disease. With healthy eating habits, your parent can maintain high levels of protein in the brain that increase his or her energy levels and lower the odds of vulnerability to other medical problems.
Get Additional Assistance
Some family members can help with transportation and food preparation, while others can assist with medication management, daily hygiene, and social activities. Dividing the duties ensures your loved one’s needs are met and decreases the risk of caregiver burnout.
Hiring a caregiver to step in and assist as the disease progresses is also a good idea. Professionally trained caregivers can help your loved one handle Alzheimer’s with less negativity and more confidence. Their actions and suggestions could also enhance your family’s caregiving plan. Regardless of who steps in to assist, dividing the caregiving duties when possible is good for families.
Remain Positive
Your loved one may sometimes display challenging or even aggressive behaviors. If this happens, you must remain calm and positive to prevent the issues from escalating and putting your loved one or other people in harm’s way. Stay positive and take a moment for yourself outside or allow another caregiver to step in for a few days while you relax and regroup.
Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of senior home care. Livingston families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia care. To create a customized in-home care plan for your loved one, call us at (973) 406-4733.
