As a family caregiver, one of the things you may have feared most when it came to taking care of your aging parent throughout their later years was the possibility of them developing Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive cognitive disease can be daunting. It can put you in the position of managing a variety of challenges and difficult situations that you might not have been able to imagine before diagnosis or in the early stages of the disease. Now, however, is the time for you to start looking ahead and make plans for how you can ensure that your aging parent gets all of the care, support, and assistance that they need throughout their later years.
Care Planning Considerations for Early-Stage Alzheimer’s
Some of the care planning considerations for an elderly adult in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease include:
End-Of-Life Plans
While it might seem drastic, the beginning of a journey with Alzheimer’s disease is the time when you should be looking ahead to the end stage of your parent’s life. This is not to be morbid or pessimistic. Instead, it is to take advantage of the fact that your parent’s cognitive functioning and mental capacity are at the best they are going to be at this point so now is the time for you to encourage them to make important decisions that will influence the rest of their life. This includes how they feel about issues such as hospice, artificial life support, and resuscitation, as well as putting legal plans into place to protect them and the rest of the family in the future.
Elder Care
Your senior’s symptoms might still be quite mild during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but that is actually the ideal time to start thinking about integrating elder care into your routine. An elderly home care services provider can give your parent the level of care that they need to help them manage the symptoms and challenges of each particular stage of the condition. This care provider can also be prepared to handle new and developing challenges as they arise so that your loved one always has the support and encouragement that they need.
Support Group
Alzheimer’s disease can be an emotionally challenging issue for your aging parent. They might struggle with the thought of the difficulties that are coming, or even feel as though they are mourning for the lifestyle that they always thought that they were going to have and now realize that they may not be able to enjoy. The emotional consequences of this can lead your parent to mental health problems and even a faster pace of cognitive decline. Finding a support group for them can make a tremendous difference in their health, well-being, functioning, and ability to maintain a higher quality of life as they move through their progression with the disease. This support group can offer emotional encouragement as well as advice both for your parent and for you so that you both feel better prepared to handle the challenge before you.
How Home to Stay Supports Those Living with Alzheimer’s
Supporting individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is our strength at Home to Stay. Our award-winning Alzbetter Program has been specifically created to cater to the needs of those living with dementia, and keep them in the comfort of their own homes. We believe that those with dementia can still comfortably age in place with the correct support system. By creating a predictable day filled with essential tasks required for daily living and meaningful activities which match their current level of dementia, our clients can live much happier and fulfilled lives in the comfort of their own home with our trusted memory care specialists. Contact Home to Stay today to see how we can make your aging loved one with Alzheimer’s journey a better one.
For elder care in Central and South Jersey and the surrounding areas, call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (856) 321-1500.
