Friday, September 16, 2011

Vital Pointers: Caring For Seniors With Alzheimer's Or Dementia

Senior care can be quite a difficult task. It can be more challenging when the elder person suffers from dementia, Alzheimer's or any other mental instability. However, there are various home health care services that take care of senior members.

Those searching for such services should first find out about various kinds of dementia. While one type of dementia is brought on by Alzheimer's, another type of vascular dementia occurs when some brain parts are unable to receive the normal blood circulation. The dementia effects show up in different forms. As a result of the loss of memory the person feels agitated more often than not. It's also hard for the individual to do routine chores like walking, dressing, bathing, eating or entering into bed. In such a case the basic task with the home health care requires maintaining the dignity of the patient. Senior patients with dementia or Alzheimer's need additional care. Most of the home care activities for seniors involve very intimate care, making it necessary to avoid doing something that lets the individual feel embarrassed regarding their condition.

It's necessary to comprehend various kinds of difficulties encountered in such elder care. Patient with dementia or Alzheimer's suffer because normal facilities are not sufficient to deal with their special needs. Many times the individual shows signs of unprovoked and sudden mood swings that frequently emerge in the form of agitation, frustration and anger. A person involved in their care will find these circumstances very difficult to handle. It takes great effort to soothe the patient, particularly if their communication ability isn't normal. Sometimes the caregiver needs to provide the patient’s favorite form of entertainment, meal or snack to calm them down. At the same time, the individual shouldn't be handled too much like a child.

Sometimes, the patient may experience anachronistic fantasies and thoughts. It is common for them to believe they're reliving certain periods of their life. This makes them feel as if they are in a completely different time or place than what it actually is. Presently, conditions like dementia cannot be treated. There are limited options for the treatment. It's only controlled with a couple medications. The kind of care for elder patients also is dependent upon their mental status.

It is crucial to employ a health care provider who is trained in senior care. The chosen nurse must be reliable and experienced. Every dementia or Alzheimer's patient needs quality attention. It means the home care nurse really should have complete knowledge of specific needs of such patients. This is possible only if the nurse has gone through right type of training. Maintaining consistency is an important quality required in a good home care provider. Only individuals who have gone through the elder care training process and have some experience should be hired.