Enjoy Summer While Helping a Family Member with Alzheimer’s
Summer is a time when many people go on vacation. They might head to the beach, a tropical destination, or remain home, saving money and enjoying a ‘staycation.’ Yet, when you’re taking care of an elderly person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, perhaps your husband or wife, mother or father, grandparent, or other relative or close friend, it may seem almost impossible to enjoy a vacation, let alone get a few moments to yourself. Alzheimer’s care providers are a great option for those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It allows family members, people who have stepped into the role of primary caregiver for an aging person with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, to focus on their own life, too.
How to find the right Alzheimer’s care.
You have two primary choices: an independent caregiver and a home health agency. The best option is to hire through an agency, not just because by doing so, you won’t have to worry about conducting a background check, interviewing each potential caregiver, checking their references, and more because the agency has already done that, but you also get better experience.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, experience can make a world of difference in the quality and type of care offered.
When you rely on an Alzheimer’s care agency, for example, most of the caregivers working there have already supported other seniors with Alzheimer’s. They likely have hands-on training on the best strategies to employ, especially when dealing with difficult behaviors and circumstances, like verbal or physical aggression.
You also enjoy peace of mind.
When you hire independently, what happens if that caregiver gets sick or decides he or she needs some time away themselves? You either have to step in and become that primary, full-time caregiver again, possibly canceling your vacation plans, or you have to find somebody else.
When you hire through an agency, if a home health aide gets sick, has a family emergency, or needs downtime, like a vacation, others will step up, be assigned to support your aging loved one, and they will also likely have plenty of experience supporting somebody with Alzheimer’s.
Many question whether relying on Alzheimer’s care through an agency is an act of love.
There is no question you love this senior in your life. When they were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, their world was uprooted, just as yours was. It may have taken you weeks or even months to deal with the grief and shock of the diagnosis, even though it might not have been a complete shock given the symptoms of memory loss you recognized for a while.
You might take it as your responsibility to look after them. Hiring Alzheimer’s care doesn’t mean you no longer care. It doesn’t mean you want to move them to a facility or pass them off to somebody else for good.
It simply means you recognize there are limitations in your life. It means you understand you still have to take care of yourself because, after all, if you don’t take care of yourself, you might find somebody else to take care of you and that senior you love.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Care Services in the Prairie Village KS area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City, today.
Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years. Call us at 816-333-3322.
Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.
Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.
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