The Importance of Starting Elder Care After a Dementia Diagnosis
If you are a family caregiver it is likely that you have considered the possibility of dementia becoming a part of your loved one’s journey as they age. The progressive nature of dementia means that your elderly parent will experience different and worsened symptoms over time as their condition furthers. In your role as their caregiver, this thought can be intimidating. Knowing that they will be experiencing new, different, and more challenging limitations and needs over time means that you will need to change the way that you approach their care, support, and assistance. When it comes to preparing yourself for the care that your parent will need as they progress through their condition, one of the most effective plans that you can put into place is starting elder care for them.
Some of the ways that beginning elder care early in your parent’s journey with dementia can be beneficial to both of you include:
- Getting accustomed to the need for care. It can be difficult for many people to accept the need for care. This can be particularly true for elderly adults who are accustomed to caring for themselves and even for families. Knowing that their needs are going to increase even further as they progress through their condition can be upsetting and overwhelming for your parent. Starting care early in the progression can get your parent accustomed to the idea of needing care, and to the presence of a care provider in their lives
- Establish routines. Routine is critical to those with dementia. Predictability helps them to feel confident and in control, and can help to keep their mind active. Starting early helps to establish these routines so that your parent can continue to follow them as their needs increase
- Personalizing care. Though there is some projection as to what your parent might experience and how they will progress, dementia is a very personal journey which means that your loved one will have their own set of symptoms and will develop them and progress through them on their own time. You cannot always predict what symptoms your parent will develop or when they will change. Having a care provider from early in the journey means that they can care for your loved one according to the symptoms that they are already experiencing and prepare for the changes that will occur.
If your senior loved one has recently been diagnosed with dementia or their challenges and limitations have become too much for you to handle effectively and efficiently, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting elder care for them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a schedule that is right not just for their needs, but also for you as their family caregiver. This means that you can give them the amount of care that you are able to and that you feel comfortable providing, while also knowing that they will receive the highly personalized services that they need to remain safe, healthy, comfortable, and happy while managing their individual needs in the way that is right for them. A care provider can also help your parent to maintain as much independence and activity as possible as they age in place, enabling them to enjoy a life that is as engaged and fulfilling as they can throughout the progression of their condition.
If you or a senior family member are considering in-home elder care in Hawthorne NJ, please contact the caring staff at Caring Solutions Home Care LLC. In-home senior care servicing Bergen & Passaic Counties. Call today (973) 427-3553.
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