Whether the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease came as a complete shock to you and your loved one or whether you’ve expected it for some time, once you hear the words from your loved one’s doctor, your world changes. Knowing that your loved one is going to need round-the-clock care shortly (and possibly now), you may decide to become his primary caregiver or get Alzheimer’s home care services, helping him stay safe and enjoy the world around him for as long as possible.
Key Symptoms During the Different Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that doesn’t have a cure. It’s generally defined as having three stages that almost everyone who is diagnosed with the disease will go through. Let’s look at the three stages briefly.
- Early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease (Mild): In this stage, it can be difficult to know if it’s Alzheimer’s disease or just getting older, but common things you might notice are your loved one struggling to perform tasks she could easily do before (like bake cookies) or her inability to remember people she just met or text she just read.
- Middle-stage (Moderate): This stage usually lasts the longest; symptoms are more pronounced, and you might notice your loved one’s emotions are more extreme. Confusion is common, and your loved one will need constant supervision to help her make the right choices.
- Late-stage (Severe): In the final stage, your loved one might lose the ability to respond to his environment, carry on a conversation, and control his or her body functions.
Get These Four Important Items Taken Care of Right Away
Because there is no set timeline for how quickly the disease will progress, prepare for the future by completing these tasks as soon as possible.
- Get yourself made his medical power of attorney so you can make medical decisions for him when he can’t. Complete a HIPAA authorization form so his doctors can talk to you about his care.
- Also, look at assigning someone trustworthy as his financial power of attorney to help make sure bills continue to get paid.
- Discuss with him what kind of care he’d like as the disease progresses, including end-of-life care wishes.
- Talk about funeral and burial preferences.
Get Help with Alzheimer’s Home Care
As the disease progresses, you might find that you need more and more help to manage the day-to-day care of your loved one, especially if you are doing it all on your own. Having a professional senior care provider who is skilled in Alzheimer’s home care will help you manage caring for your loved one while providing you with much-needed breaks during your day.
An Alzheimer’s home care provider can step in and help you with personal care tasks such as helping your loved one bathe or trimming his nails. Your Alzheimer’s home care provider might also help with meals by either preparing them or sitting with your loved one and helping him partake in the meal. If you need some time to take care of your responsibilities that don’t involve your loved one but want to make sure someone is with him, an Alzheimer’s home care provider can help by enjoying some one-on-one time with your loved one.
While you might not need a lot of help from an Alzheimer’s home care provider in the early days of the disease, having a solid relationship with one can help your loved one and you as he negotiates the changes the disease brings.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Sun Lakes, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Legacy Home Care today. Call (480) 777-0070
Legacy Home Care is a top provider of home care services in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Sun Lakes, Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Phoenix, and surrounding areas.
Legacy Home Care has been serving the valley since 2007. We are family owned and operated with over 75 caregivers. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as: Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans' Home Care program.
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