Strategies for Each Stage of Alzheimer’s Disease Care

Providing care for an individual with Alzheimer’s disease can seem like attempting to solve a continuously changing puzzle. As soon as you determine the solution to one area, you learn that the picture has changed, and you need to rethink your plan.

Figuring out the puzzle of Alzheimer’s disease care demands ongoing learning and a group effort, which includes professionally trained dementia caregivers who understand the numerous facets of Alzheimer’s support. Home & Hearth Caregivers offers the following tips, courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association, to aid families in establishing care strategies through the progressive phases of Alzheimer’s:

• Beginning Stages: Family members can better aid a loved one with Alzheimer’s through planning together, offering a patient, listening ear and memory prompts when required. Tactics include:
  • • Be a care advocate for the senior, offering emotional assistance and encouragement.
    • Help plan for the long-term.
    • Offer memory prompts, establish a day-to-day routine, and help the individual remain healthy and engaged in what he or she enjoys.
• Middle Stages: Care techniques will be focused on flexibility, patience and daily structure with plenty of time for self-care for the caregiver. Strategies include:
  • • Adhere to daily routines and structure.
    • Enhance quality of life by participating in uncomplicated activities with each other, such as gardening or walking.
    • Promote as much independence as possible, but be prepared to help when necessary.
• Later Stages: Compassionate care is centered on preserving the dignity and quality of life for the older adult while sustaining a secure, clean and healthy environment. Tactics can include:
  • • Remain connected and express caring with touch, sound, sight, taste and smell.
    • Provide assistance with eating and toileting, and with relieving body pressure if the individual is confined to bed.
    • Be conscious of non-verbal signs such as paleness, swelling, agitation or wincing facial expressions that can show pain.

The most important way to provide care for and support your loved one through the stages of Alzheimer’s is through taking care of yourself. Acknowledge that you can’t do it all alone, and permit other individuals the opportunity to assist, making sure to take time away regularly to rest and recharge.

Working with a professional home care agency that provides experienced dementia care in Naperville and the surrounding area, such as Home & Hearth Caregivers, allows a smoother journey through the process, helping both the care recipient and his or her family caregivers. Contact us at 800-349-0663 for additional information on our specialized Alzheimer’s or dementia support and customized caregiving strategies.