It is hard to think about giving a senior “too much” care when you are a family caregiver for them, especially when they are dealing with a challenging health issue such as Alzheimer’s disease. The reality, however, is that you can take over to a degree that is excessive and that can limit your aging loved one’s ability to maintain as much independence and autonomy as possible as they progress through this disease.
Taking on too many of their care tasks, doing things for them when they are able to do them on their own, and not involving them in all of the care and assistance that you give, such as making appointments or other decisions, can be detrimental to your parent. By taking a step back and making an effort to create balance between the care that you give your parent and what they are able to do on their own you can help to ensure that their mind stays as active as possible and they find as much fulfillment as they can throughout their progression. One way that you can accomplish this is through home care.
Some of the ways that home care can help you maintain balance when caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Supervision and assistance within the home to ensure safety.
- Transportation so your parent can go where they want and need to go on their own schedule rather than always waiting for you.
- Encouraging your parent to do more for themselves while being there to support and assist them as much as is necessary.
- Modifying tasks so that your parent can help with their basic activities of daily living, such as cleaning and cooking, in ways that are still accessible to them.
- Fulfilling potentially sensitive care tasks such as bathing and dressing so that your parent does not have to cope with the emotional effects that they might struggle with when accepting this type of assistance from you.
Starting home care for your elderly parent can be one of the best decisions that you make for them. As their family caregiver, you are responsible for helping them to live the highest quality of life possible throughout their later years, and an in-home senior care services provider can help you accomplish that goal.
Through a highly personalized set of services, this care provider can step in to supplement the care that you already give your parent, filling care gaps, providing transportation, and just being there to act as a companion and source of mental and emotional support. This can ensure that your parent’s needs are met in the way that is right for them, while also helping them to stay healthy, safe, comfortable, and as fulfilled and independent as possible as they age in place.
Source: https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-early-mild-stage-caregiving.asp
