There are different types of care that are available for seniors who want to stay at home as they get older. Seniors who have health conditions like Parkinson’s, ALS, or Alzheimer’s need specialized care that will meet the unique needs they have.
Home care is a general type of care that is suited to most seniors who aren’t struggling with the unique symptoms of a particular illness. Most seniors get by very well with home care. But if your mom or dad has Alzheimer’s, they need Alzheimer’s care.
Alzheimer’s care at home is given by caregivers who receive extensive training. They learn what Alzheimer’s is, how it affects seniors, and the best way to handle common behaviors that occur when Alzheimer’s starts to progress.
It’s important that your mom or dad have a care provider that can handle situations like wandering, aggressive or belligerent behaviors, hallucinations, not eating or drinking, and other behaviors that are fairly common in seniors who have Alzheimer’s.
General Service
Home care is more generalized and includes things like housekeeping that may not be part of Alzheimer’s care. Home care is designed for seniors who have no cognitive impairments, but Alzheimer’s care is designed for seniors who have some level of cognitive impairment from mild to severe.
Target Audience
Almost any senior can benefit from home care. But, only seniors with some type of dementia will need Alzheimer’s care at home. That’s because the care providers who work with seniors who have dementia have specialized training that helps them identify behaviors, physical cues, and non-verbal communication from seniors with Alzheimer’s.
Skill Level Of Caregivers
All caregivers are compassionate, patient, and understanding with seniors. But working with seniors who have Alzheimer’s requires some unique skills. Caregivers that specialize in Alzheimer’s care learn techniques like redirection to keep seniors safe.
They are also taught to recognize non-verbal cues since seniors with advanced Alzheimer’s may not be able to vocalize their physical needs. Caregivers have to look for signs of hunger, thirst, fatigue, and so on when seniors can’t tell a caregiver they need to eat, use the bathroom, or go to bedroom.
Care Focus
For a home care provider the primary focus is on supporting daily living activities and maintaining the overall well-being and independence of the senior they are working with. But for a care provider that works with seniors who have Alzheimer’s the primary care focus is ensuring the safety and well-being of the senior with Alzheimer’s, managing their symptoms, providing cognitive stimulation, and enhancing their quality of life through tailored activities and interventions.
Flexibility
Home care providers have the opportunity to be more flexible because they are working with seniors who don’t have cognitive impairment. One day they might take your senior parent to the market, or to a doctor’s appointment, and the next day the caregiver could spend their time doing laundry and cleaning.
Part of Alzheimer’s care involves creating structure and routine for seniors with Alzheimer’s, so caregivers working with seniors who have dementia try hard to make sure each day follows the same routine. Meals are at a certain time, bedtime is at a certain time, everything is the same from day to day. That routine is comforting for seniors who have Alzheimer’s.