Alzheimer’s Home Care

Lapses or changes in a person’s memory, reasoning skills, and thinking will be affected, leading to personality changes.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease and the late stages can lead to quite severe symptoms. Patients can lose the ability to communicate, control movement or respond to the environment around them.

They may still say the occasional word or phrase but this may be labored and not related to external stimuli or conversations being had with them.

Alzheimer’s is progressive and can be hard to spot in the early stages, with clearer symptoms presenting themselves over time:

1. Normal behavior
   (usually only identifiable via a PET scan.)
2. Mild changes:
   this can start with losing things and forgetting words. It is often confused for ageing, in general.
3. Subtle decline:
   This may include forgetting names, an inability to plan and organise, forgetting what they have just read or asking repetitive questions.
4. Obvious decline:
   A person may forget their own details, not understand dates, times or seasons, struggle with the technology they used to understand, find conversations difficult, and tasks like cooking and cleaning will be difficult along with decision making.
5. Mild to severe decline:
   This stage usually causes a person to lose track of where they are, the time of day and even what time of year it is. They may dress for the incorrect season, and forget their personal details or life history. They will still be able to tell stories though not all the facts will be accurate.
6. Severe:
   Care can become more challenging at this stage as the person may remember faces but forget names or mix relatives up, mistaking them for someone else.
   They may think they are still in an old job or live in an old home.
   Assistance will often be required with going to the bathroom, feeding, getting dressed and tasks around the home.
   Secondary health issues can arise that require a higher level of care.
7. Very Severe Symptoms:
   Late-stage Alzheimer’s will affect abilities like walking, movement, eating and communicating when they are full or thirsty.
   Families can often find this very challenging and will almost always require professional assistance with care. Home care may not always be the best answer for this stage though The Great Care Company can provide around-the-clock assistance should it be required.

The age of the person affected will have a bearing on their life expectancy. For most people, Alzheimer’s Disease can last for 8 to 10 years with late-stage dementia typically being 1 to 2 years.

People have been known to live with the condition for up to 15 and even 20 years though these are quite rare cases.

The particular stage of Alzheimer’s will dictate the level of care required. As a person’s needs escalate, so too should the level of support. Some of the assistance you should expect might be:

• Physical and emotional support for the person affected and their loved ones.
• Assistance with tasks around the home.
• Preparing clothes for the day ahead.
• Companionship and support.
• Help with leaving the home, shopping and attending social situations.
• Medication management.
• Colostomy & catheter care
• An understanding of secondary health conditions associated with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
• Observations of changes in a person’s abilities and the need to change treatment as appropriate.
• Keeping the person comfortable.
• Assistance with personal hygiene.
• Ensuring bedding is fresh and clothing is clean.
• Meal planning & preparation with food appropriate to the stage.
• Feeding and hydration.
• Working with medical experts to ensure the care is tailored to the person and the stage of Alzheimer’s they are experiencing.

Home is the place we feel most secure and familiar with.

Being around the people, pets and things that a person loves can be very beneficial to an Alzheimer’s patient’s well-being and may encourage them to feel more empowered.

Providing the level of care and support is there, home care is a perfect solution for being with your loved one for as long as possible and helping them to get the most out of life in a place they will feel most comfortable.