With age, many of our loved ones will require more time and care as their capacities diminish. What many people fail to acknowledge is that home care has multiple facets and branches. At different stages in their lives, the elderly will require different levels of care. This care may range from regular home care to dementia home care.
The role of regular in-home care personnel is typically non-medical. Personal aides provide companionship, prescription management, assistance with daily living, chauffeur services, cooking and light housecleaning. Some patients have more independence and are more able than others. In the case of the less able, personal aides might help patients with bathing, using the bathroom and getting dressed. Dementia home care is more demanding and often requires more specialty.
Dementia home care, too, has layers. Some dementia patients, in the early phases, do not need more than the basic in-home care or the help of personal aides. In the first phase, dementia patients still maintain the capacity to perform daily activities without supervision. These patients are still able to attend social events and even drive, but need assistance with more important activities such as money management.
The second phase is where there is a need to increase home care. In the middle or second phase of dementia, patients' memory begin to diminish significantly. Familiar places and faces, in this phase, results in confusion and agitation. Here is where dementia home care becomes necessary and important. Unlike regular and in-home care, dementia home care professionals are trained to deal with the episodes of irritation and confusion, the memory loss and the aggression. The need for these professionals only grows as the dementia progresses.
These caregivers are well-versed in dementia and its patients, the progression of dementia and are trained to handle the erratic moods and behaviors that ensue. Paramount for dementia home care is knowing how to achieve and maintain low stress levels for the patient which dementia home care individuals should do expertly. Additionally, good dementia home care accommodates the specific needs of dementia patients; this often involves memory stimulating activities. Alongside dementia care, these professionals usually offer the same services as personal aides, cooking, light housecleaning and running errands.
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