Don't be Afraid of the Doctor

The Advantages Of At-Home Care for a Parent with Dementia

While a majority of people may have heard about dementia, there are a lot of people who do not know what it really is. The typical misconception about dementia is that it means going crazy, and this could not be further from the truth. Dementia is, in fact, a symptom of other disorders. A few examples of the disorders that could lead to dementia include Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease and other age-related diseases. In essence, once your loved one develops dementia, they lose their memories, which in turn affects their ability to engage in regular tasks and use their full thinking capacity.

Since this disease does not affect your parent's physical health and ability to move around, they may not want to move to a nursing home and choose to take them in instead. But, to ensure they are safe, you should consider aged care in your home. Below are some of the advantages of at-home aged care for your parent with dementia.

The practical advantages of aged care

Although your parent may not lose their mobility once they develop dementia, it does not mean that they are not at risk. For example, memory loss may make them forget to turn off the stove, which puts them at danger of a house fire. Moreover, the confusion that sets in will also make it difficult for them to discern what is going on around them. It is your responsibility to ensure that they stay in a safe environment by enlisting at-home aged care services.

A trained professional will know how best to keep your parent secure by carrying out a range of tasks for them such as prepping their meals, transporting them to where they need to go, keeping their house tidy and so on. Take note that the longer they live with dementia, the more hands-on care they will need at home.

The health and well-being advantages of aged care

One of the biggest disadvantages about dementia is that there are no known preventative measures or a cure for this disorder. Nevertheless, it does not mean that your parent cannot gain health-related benefits via at-home aged care. By having a care provider staying with your parent, they get the chance to enjoy companionship and engage in conversations.

This social contact goes a long way in helping your parent stay lucid and possibly even lead a more active lifestyle. Furthermore, having a caregiver means you can always be alerted to anything that comes up immediately, which gives you peace of mind too. 

For more information, contact a company like Simply Helping.


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