Dementia is a condition that causes nerve cell damage or loss and disrupts their connections to the brain. As a result, older adults with dementia often face challenges with daily activities, putting their health and safety at risk. Although dementia affects each senior differently, some symptoms are common, as are the signs that at-home care is necessary. To slow down the condition’s progress and keep your senior loved one safe and healthy, it’s best to know the warning signs and get assistance immediately.
Increased Falls
Dementia impacts every senior differently. Some older adults living with dementia can move around their homes with ease, while others experience balance issues and muscle weakness earlier or more frequently than others. When these problems are ignored, your loved one could experience slips and falls more often, leading to worse memory problems, broken bones, or severe head injuries. If your loved one has challenges with mobility, receiving at-home care could boost his or her quality of life and ensure he or she continues to bathe, groom, stay active, eat healthily, and avoid other issues caused by lack of mobility, such as hip fractures.
Caring for a senior with dementia can be challenging for family caregivers. Luckily, there is dementia care Richmond families can rely on. Professional dementia caregivers help seniors with dementia stay safe and comfortable at home by preventing wandering, providing cognitive stimulation, and assisting with household chores.
Skipped Meals
As dementia progresses, your loved one might begin skipping meals. Poor nutrition prevents the body from staying strong and healthy and speeds up the progress of dementia. The first signs are behavioral problems and significant weight loss. When you notice these issues, it’s time for at-home care. One of the best ways to determine if your parent with dementia is eating healthy meals is to monitor the contents of the refrigerator and pantry and visit your loved one for breakfast, lunch, or dinner as often as possible during the earlier stages of dementia.
A professional caregiver with training and expertise in dementia care can be a tremendous asset. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care. You can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care Richmond to provide an individualized care plan to meet your elderly loved one’s 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.
Difficulty Sleeping
Healthy sleeping habits are more challenging to maintain with age, but seniors with dementia can have even more difficulty. Therefore, when your parent stops getting enough sleep, it’s likely time for at-home care. An example of a problem caused by sleep deprivation is aggressive behavior toward family and friends as well as strangers at places like local grocery stores, pharmacies, and other businesses or community events. This agitation could lead to physical aggression, such as hitting individuals with objects and causing significant harm.
With at-home care, your loved one will have someone monitoring his or her sleeping patterns and developing beneficial strategies to address his or her sleeping difficulties. This includes medication reviews by a physician, removing unnecessary lighting from the room, maintaining a daily routine, and promoting healthy fluid intake throughout the day.
Depression
Isolating him or herself from you, other family members, and friends or avoiding doctor appointments could signify your loved one’s dementia is worsening and he or she needs at-home care immediately. Depression can cause the condition to progress more rapidly because it negatively affects overall health and wellness.
As a family caregiver, you can prevent or reduce your parent’s risk of depression by increasing his or her enjoyable interactions with others. Simply being with other people could prevent isolation and encourage your loved one to take part in more social activities, such as playing games, doing activities like arts and crafts, or attending small dementia-friendly events within the community.
Caring for a loved one with dementia is a challenging task for anyone. The responsibilities can sometimes feel overwhelming, but help is available. Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Richmond at-home care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help. Call one of our friendly Care Managers at (804) 500-9787 to schedule a free consultation.
