The Top 4 Reasons to Get 24-hour Dementia Care at Home for Seniors
Written by:
Jeffrey Grossman
Published:
May 10, 2021
As a family caregiver looking after an elderly adult with dementia, you may not know when to get, how to get, or the benefits of 24-hour dementia care at home.
24/7 in-home senior care is an excellent option for any family caregiver who’s looking after a loved one with dementia. In-home caregivers for seniors with dementia can promote greater health and wellness for those with dementia and their family members.In this article, we’re sharing all about full-time dementia care and its benefits. Keep reading to learn some of the signs that an aging adult needs 24-hour dementia care and the benefits it provides. Afterward, we’ll tell you how to find in-home dementia care for your loved one.
When Do Dementia Patients Need 24-hour Care?
Dementia is a general term for memory loss that can affect an individual’s ability to perform daily life tasks. It’s a progressive disease, meaning the symptoms will start slowly and get worse over time. Family caregivers often provide care for their loved ones in the early stages of dementia, but eventually, the burden of care may become overwhelming. There may come a time when your aging loved one with dementia needs 24/7 in-home senior care. If you recognize any of these things in your aging senior, it may be a good sign to think about full-time dementia care at home:
Increased falls or greatly decreased balance
Sleeplessness or being awake during the night
Inability to eat or drink independently
Fainting or confusion from dehydration
Frequently wandering or getting lost
Increased incontinence or inability to make it to the bathroom
Health risks (e.g., forgetting to take medications)
Safety concerns (e.g., leaving the stove on unattended)
Recognizing any of these signs in your loved one may be an indication that 24-hour dementia care is a beneficial option.
The Top 4 Benefits of 24-hour Dementia Care at Home
Whether you’re already considering 24-hour in-home dementia care or you’ve just recently heard about it, it’s helpful to know more before making a decision.Here are the top four benefits you can expect when you get 24-hour in-home caregivers for seniors with dementia.
1. Allows Aging Adults to Live at Home
There are many living options when it comes to taking care of someone with dementia. However, aging adults prefer to grow old in the comfort of their homes. 24-hour care in your own home provides a sense of comfort and stability, especially for a loved one with dementia. With 24-hour dementia care at home, experienced in-home caregivers will stay with your loved one throughout the entirety of the day and night. An around-the-clock caregiver provides your aging loved ones with continuous help and support whenever they need it. It also gives you peace of mind that your loved one is receiving quality care at all hours of the day.
2. Reduces Falls and Safety Hazards
Another benefit of full-time dementia care is that it provides increased safety for your loved one.Falls are a leading cause of injury for aging adults. A 24-hour dementia caregiver provides constant assistance for seniors with dementia as they move about their homes. These in-home caregivers can help with:
Getting in and out of bed
Getting in and out of the shower
Walking up and down stairs
Decluttering the house or removing tripping hazards
Reminders to use a cane, walker, or assistive device
Additionally, caregivers can provide an extra set of hands and eyes around the house to assist with:
Making sure the stove or oven is off after use
Driving the individual to and from places
Eating and drinking regularly
Overall, full-time dementia caregivers can help ensure that your loved one is safe and secure during their daily activities.
3. Assistance with Activities of Daily Living
In the late stages of dementia, normal functions like dressing, eating, drinking, and walking can become increasingly difficult for loved ones with dementia to perform independently.24/7 in-home senior caregivers are specially trained and ready to assist with these activities of daily living (ADLs). They’ll have the ability to help with:
Bathing and personal hygiene
Toileting and incontinence support
Dressing and grooming
Feeding
Exercising and range of motion support
Often the inability to perform ADLs independently leads most families to place their aging loved ones in a nursing home or other living facility. However, with a 24-hour in-home caregiver, your loved one can get help with ADLs in the comfort of their home.
4. Respite for Family Caregivers
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a rewarding yet increasingly challenging task. The previous three benefits focused primarily on the person with dementia, but family caregivers also benefit from 24-hour dementia care. As a family caregiver to someone with dementia, you may feel like you’re giving up your life to care for your loved one. You can become overly stressed and experience burnout. Hiring a 24-hour in-home dementia caregiver for your loved one can provide needed relief from caregiving.Once your aging loved one has a full-time caregiver, you won’t have to worry about providing the hands-on care yourself. Instead, you can start enjoying more quality time with your loved one.Often, you’ll still have a hand in the caregiving process through the in-home care agency. They’ll keep you updated on your loved one’s care needs and be available if you have any concerns. However, they’ll handle all the practical care so you can be free of worry and fully present when you’re with your loved one.
Where to Find In-home Dementia Care
Dementia is a progressive disease that affects many elderly adults. Spouses, adult children, or other family caregivers often start providing the hands-on care their loved ones need. At a certain point, dementia can affect an individual’s ability to perform routine daily activities independently. When this happens, family caregivers can find themselves unable to handle all the caregiving responsibilities.If you have a loved one with dementia, an excellent option might be 24/7 in-home senior care. Getting an aging loved one 24-hour dementia care at home provides them with great benefits like:
The opportunity to age at home
Lower risk of falls and other safety hazards
Hands-on help with activities of daily living
24-hour dementia care also gives respite to family caregivers and allows them to enjoy time with their loved ones instead of constantly providing care. Commonwise Home Care is a premium home care agency in Richmond, VA, Charlottesville, VA, and Charleston, SC. We provide the highest quality home care to aging seniors so they can age in the comfort of their homes. Our Care Managers work closely with family caregivers to create a personalized care plan for the individual in need of care. Highly-trained caregivers enter the client’s place of residence to put the care plan into action. Care Managers and Caregivers stay in constant communication with the client’s family members to provide updates and continued peace of mind. Contact our Richmond, Charlottesville, or Charleston location to talk with a Care Advisor and learn more about full-time dementia care.