Signs Your Loved One Needs Dementia Homecare

Dealing with a dementia diagnosis can be challenging. For many, the decision to keep a dementia patient at home is made early on, before the patient’s behaviours become troublesome. It can later become more and more difficult to deal with the disease and help will often be required. Dementia care services can provide you and your loved one with the necessary aid to stay safe.

What is Homecare Assistance?

Homecare assistance is when you have someone come in to help out with an elderly parent or other person with dementia. Early on, many people manage to handle the homecare themselves, but over time, it can become exhausting to be on call all the time.

Healthcare at home can be in the form of a nurse checking in once a week to ensure all medical needs are taken care of. However, it’s also helpful to have dementia homecare, which will help look after the person with dementia. The extra help can allow the regular caregiver to go to work, get shopping done, and have some of their regular life back.

Dementia carers are also trained to help mitigate health and safety concerns in the home. They can be useful for arranging medications management and even nutrition support where needed. This extra layer of expertise can easily change the way things are done in the home and eases the stress on the primary caregiver.

Signs Your Loved One Needs Dementia Care

If you’re not sure you should bring someone else into the picture, it’s important to consider what can happen when someone with dementia is alone. Here are a few of the signs that they really do need some extra care:

Memory Loss

An increase in forgetfulness may not seem like a serious problem early on, but if your loved one is forgetting medication or appointments, they shouldn’t be left alone. You’ll likely notice that this is something that gradually becomes more and more common.

Poor Personal Hygiene

As dementia progresses, it may become difficult for the person to stay on top of personal hygiene. Watch for unbrushed teeth, strong body odour, unwashed or greasy hair, mismatched socks and shoes, or dirty clothing. All of these can indicate there are some issues that must be dealt with.

Behavioural Changes

Have you noticed that your loved one is feeling depressed or aggressive? They may show signs of paranoia or delusions, insisting that people or objects are there when they’re not. You may notice that they become more and more difficult, disorientated, or confused as the sun goes down and it becomes darker outside.

Wandering and/or Getting Lost

It can be quite dangerous when someone with dementia wanders away from home. They may not remember how to get home or even who they are. You’ll notice that they may start to try going home, though they are already home. They may forget how to get to somewhere they usually go or they may keep talking about needing to go somewhere, such as work.

If you notice any of these signs in your loved one, contact Cadog Homecare to learn more about home care assistance for dementia patients.