Mom needs help and you’re ready to step up. You’re going to be there to pick up medication, run errands, keep her house clean, the fridge full of groceries – and the list keeps growing! The responsibility of caregiving doesn’t need to fall all on your shoulders.
As our parents age, it’s common to have some concerns about their driving. Is there anything in the vehicle distracting them? Do they have a plan in case a certain route is closed? Are they aware of side effects from a medicine that could potentially affect their ability to operate a vehicle? These are all important questions for you to go over with your loved one and to find solutions that keep everyone safe.
You’ve done all the research, you’ve talked with your loved one, and you’ve discussed the matter with your family. You’re a caregiver, and you know how important this role is for your loved one to continue living their life – with some care and assistance from you.
You’ve been there since the beginning. You help with cooking, cleaning, driving to appointments – if you can name it, you’ve done it. But lately you may feel fatigued in keeping up with taking care of your loved one.
Dementia presents challenges in all aspects of life, one of them being the action of swallowing. This can affect someone’s ability to eat and drink, and can cause possible choking hazards. There are certain tips and education about dementia-related eating challenges that can help overcome these issues. When you have the right plan in place, your loved one can continue to eat safely.
When the time comes for your loved one to leave their home, you’ll all be feeling a wide range of emotions. While you and the rest of your family may feel some relief that your loved one will be in a community where they will have access to care and will be in a safe place, your loved one may feel hesitant at the thought of moving away from home.
When a family unit is caring for their aging parent, they may act with the best intentions, but will likely find differences of opinion when it comes to what will most help their loved one. While working with siblings or close family members can be tricky, having strong communication skills, mutual respect, and an understanding that you’re all here for your parent will help you work together and make decisions about their care.
When our parents or spouses age, we do all we can to keep their routines so they can feel centered throughout the day. As caregivers, we know how important it is for our loved ones to lead an engaging life, and their spirituality may be a part of that foundation. While caring for someone with dementia can mean some changes to their life, it doesn’t mean that their spirituality stops. Learning more about connecting through spirituality can keep this strong form of support in their lives.
When your loved one has memory loss, it can affect more parts of their brain than recalling moments from their past. Dementia can also affect the senses. It’s possible that your loved one is experiencing loss of smell. Loss of smell can severely affect your loved one’s safety and their quality of life.
As Alzheimer’s progresses, you usually expect your loved one to have more difficulty with their memory. However, this is not the only way that Alzheimer’s can impact the brain. Over time, the person’s senses can weaken. It’s more difficult to see contrasting colors, interpret noises, detect aromas, identify different flavors, and distinguish differences in touch. When your loved one’s senses are affected, they may have difficulty in detecting dangerous situations.