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Talking to Your Parents About Senior Care
At a certain point in their lives, your parents may need elderly care or homecare assistance near Memphis . It may be difficult for your parents to accept that they need in-home care, so you should plan to have an in-depth conversation about the matter. When having such a conversation, be sure to stress to you parents that they will not need to move out of their home, but instead will simply have regular visits from a home health aide or in-home caregiver.
If your parents are particularly resistant to the idea of in-home elder care, you can consult with a therapist or counselor who has experience in caring for elders. This professional can act as a mediator between you and your parents to make the conversation easier and more constructive. Be sure to listen carefully to your parents’ feelings and concerns and address each one specifically so that they know they’re being heard.
When the time comes to contact a home health care company regarding in-home care, you should make sure that your parents are involved in the process. They should meet any potential caregiver before any elder care services are contracted.
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Steps for Simplifying Your Senior’s Life
As your loved one ages, he may need more and more help completing everyday tasks. Luckily, an in-home caregiver near Memphis can provide elder care services, assisted living services, and home health care for your loved one. In-home care ensures that your loved one remains safe, happy, and healthy without requiring him to move out of his own home.
Watch this video for some great tips for simplifying your elderly loved one’s life. You’ll get advice on removing hazards from the home, staying involved in your loved one’s health care, and contacting a home health agency about their senior assisted living services.
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Spotting the Early Indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease
If you believe that your loved one is suffering from dementia near Memphis, you should seek help from an assisted living agency as soon as possible. Dementia home care services will ensure that your loved one remains safe, healthy, and cared for when he cannot care for himself. Here are some of the early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia that may indicate that your loved one could benefit from dementia home care .
Gradually Worsening Memory Loss
As we age, we all begin to suffer from a certain degree of memory loss or have difficulty remembering things. However, dementia symptoms include a gradually worsening memory loss that is obviously abnormal and markedly different from occasionally misplacing your keys or forgetting an important appointment. With dementia, memory problems are the first and most obvious sign of the disease. You may notice that your loved one frequently forgets dates, events, new information, people’s names, addresses, and directions.
Cognitive Impairment
Dementia is a chronic condition that gradually causes the neurons in the brain to deteriorate, causing significant cognitive impairment. As dementia progresses, your loved one’s attention span, concentration, judgment, ability to plan, and decision making skills will become severely disturbed. He may not be able to follow a recipe, make simple decisions, or keep track of his monthly expenses. You will notice that your loved one is either falling behind on necessary chores, or frequently asking for help with completing them.
Severe Changes in Personality and Mood
As dementia symptoms worsen, your loved one will exhibit dramatic changes in personality and mood. In some cases, personality changes develop prior to symptoms of cognitive impairment, or they may develop in response to cognitive problems. Personality and mood changes are also often the symptom that prompts family members to seek dementia home care or senior assisted living services. Your loved one may suddenly seem apathetic, emotionally flat, unexpressive, and indifferent to his surroundings. He may also have bursts of fear, anger, and paranoia. Depression and anxiety are also common mood swings associated with dementia.
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Understanding the Benefits of In Home Elderly Care
Because most adult children have full-time responsibilities, trying to take on elderly care for aging loved ones all on your own can be overwhelming. An in home caregiver in Memphis can provide customized assistance, helping take on some of your responsibilities while ensuring that your parent is able to stay comfortably in the home. Caring Companions provide a wide range of senior care services, giving you the peace of mind you need to trust your loved one in their care. Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of in home elderly care.
Safety
One of the primary reasons for seeking out in home care for elderly loved ones is simple convenience. Having caretakers provide companionship, ensure medicine is taken at the proper times, and be on hand to contact emergency care in case there is a medical emergency is vital to a family’s peace of mind. For housebound patients who use a wheelchair or walker, the convenience afforded by a caregiver is especially important. An in home caregiver allows your elderly loved one to socialize without taking risky and unnecessary trips outdoors.
Personal Care
Elderly care providers make sure your loved one is safe and comfortable at all times by providing quality and attentive personal care. A home health aide can ensure that your loved one is showered, groomed, and dressed. A reputable elder care agency should also be able to provide a caregiver who can assist your loved one with the bathing and grooming process if he or she is unable to complete these tasks alone.
Housekeeping
Senior care services provided as part of homecare assistance package often include light housekeeping. Caring companions can help with making the bed, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, and making sure all entryways are clear and safe for your loved one to pass through. Elder care can also include help cooking nutritious meals. By taking care of basic housekeeping tasks, elderly care providers ensure that your only job when you return from work or come over for a visit is to spend quality time with your loved one.
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Spotlight on Medication Management
Elderly care providers serving Memphis are often called upon to ensure an aging parent’s safety in addition to providing elderly care services like housekeeping. A caregiver that focuses on elderly care should be able to make sure your loved one is taking his or her medications properly, giving families peace of mind when they are away at work or on vacation.
To ensure proper medication management and timely reminders, make sure to tell your caregiver agency exactly what medications your parent is taking. You should know why it is being taken, who prescribed it, the exact dose, and how often it must be administered. You should also inform a senior care services provider about any potential side effects. For example, if your parent feels sleepy or nauseous after taking a certain medication, a caregiver can help him or her to bed to lie down. You may also want to come up with a system to make sure medications are being taken as directed. Some caretakers create daily checklists that are marked off when each dose is taken.
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The Advantages of Respite Care
When an elderly loved one becomes ill or is recovering from surgery or a broken bone, families often take on the task of caring for elders in their home. After time, however, families may discover that they don’t have the time, skills, or resources to provide appropriate in-home care in Memphis for their loved one. In this situation, it’s useful to consult with a caregiver agency that offers respite care .
Respite care includes senior assisted living services that provide your elderly loved one with help with day-to-day tasks and chores around the home. This may include assistance with personal in-home care tasks such as bathing, dressing, and going to the bathroom. A home health aide can also provide your loved one with medication reminders, and transportation to and from doctor’s appointments or the pharmacy.
Caregivers also offer homecare assistance with meal preparation and household chores. A caring companion can do light housekeeping, laundry, dishes, and other tasks that your loved one isn’t able to complete himself. Most importantly, in-home assisted living caregivers provide support and companionship that prevents seniors from becoming depressed and lonely during their recovery.
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Choosing In Home Care for an Elderly Parent
Do you have elderly parents who could benefit from long term home care in Memphis? As you consider your options for in home elder care, make sure to select an experienced caregiver who puts your loved one immediately at ease.
First, consult with your parent’s physicians to discuss in home care options. Next, do some research online. Look for Better Business Bureau accredited elder care providers. You should also ask any caregiver to provide references from satisfied families who have used her in home care services. You might also want to consider visiting a support group to hear about others’ experiences with home care agencies. Home health agencies screen, train, and supervise their staff, so you are matched with an experienced and reliable care provider.
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Keeping Your Elderly Loved One Safe at Home
As your elderly loved one ages, he may develop mobility problems, illnesses, or signs of dementia that require in-home elderly care in Memphis . In-home care from a home health aide can ensure that your loved one doesn’t suffer from injury, falls, or other dangerous accidents that can result from dementia symptoms or mobility problems. Senior assisted living services and dementia home care also provide your loved one with companionship, preventing them from becoming lonely or depressed.
Watch this video to learn more about how an in-home caregiver can keep your elderly loved one safe. Assisted living caregivers have years of training and experience caring for elderly people who need physical and medical assistance.
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What is Dementia?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, getting proper elder care near Memphis can help everyone in your family feel more at ease. If you are still unsure what dementia is, or what the early signs of dementia are, watch this video to learn more.
Dementia is a term that is used to describe a large group of symptoms that are caused by diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain and it is a progressive condition. When a nerve cell in your body dies, it cannot be replaced. As these cells die, the brain begins to atrophy. There are many symptoms of dementia, including memory loss and loss of physical coordination. These symptoms vary depending on where in the brain cell loss occurs. Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia. However, choosing an assisted living provider in Memphis, such as Caring Companions, can help make the diagnosed patient more comfortable.
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Planning the Transition to Home Care
If a family member is transitioning to home care, it can be a very stressful time for everyone involved. Planning ahead of time with a facility that is specialized in home care health in Memphis can help to make this process and easier one.
It is important to remind your loved one that this transition is a new process and things are going to be different than they may be used to. Planning any changes to the home should begin immediately. Also, hiring a home health aide early on will be beneficial to ensure that recovery for the patient will continue at home. Reach out to the rehab facility to understand what is needed at home for the recovery to occur quickly and safely. Lastly, recognize that it is okay to have help when caring for a loved one. Self-care is necessary for everyone to stay healthy. Allowing someone to help you care for your family member is the best way to help everyone’s health.