We understand the need for patient and well-trained staff to support you in the challenges you face caring for someone with dementia. Our dementia-care trained staff has a minimum of 5 hours in-house training and at least a year of experience, with in-house oversight when caring for those with this progressive disease. We provide an additional 20+ hours of in-house training/coaching. Our caregivers are lovingly empowered to assist you and your family.

Diagnosis

The most important thing is to get an accurate diagnosis; the earlier the better. This so you can start addressing the symptoms and reduce stress for both the impacted senior and family members. Once a senior has been diagnosed with a form of dementia, next step is acceptance. This is probably the hardest thing to do, knowing life will continue changing for them as well as those around them. Getting upset with someone with dementia is pointless, even if it is frustrating to care for them. They just cannot help it, it’s the disease. The sooner we change our focus to become patient centric and away from how life “should be”, the better it is for everyone.

What to do now?

Excellent resources are available, both online and in-person. Instead of getting overwhelmed with information online, start with one or two websites first, understand everything there is to learn about the disease and resources available, then validate that information for your unique situation with a medical professional (ideally starting with your family physician), then researching additional information based on need.

Life choices:

If the senior is in the early stages of the disease, having them remain within their familiar environment is probably the best option. However, do start evaluating in-home or personal care, to provide respite for the family caregiver, or to keep the senior active while the family is busy working.

Falling is the biggest risk for seniors with dementia (including in the early stages), with dehydration, malnutrition, and wandering becoming a problem as the disease progresses. Falls always lead to deterioration of the physical body. Even after a senior recovers from one, the body never gets back to the state prior to the fall. So fall prevention and detection are critical, with preparing the living environment to prevent falls being a great first step.

Solutions:

Always Best Care is about helping find solutions for your senior care problems, be it education, companionship, respite care, in-home personal care, or FREE independent/assisted living/memory care finder services.

A Geriatric Care Manager is an excellent professional to reach out to if you are unsure of your choices. Our care managers will be happy to provide referrals to local professionals whom we trust.

Music & Memory Program

Along with our in-home care services, we have introduced the nationally well-known music and memory program for dementia/Alzheimer’s patients in Clayton and surrounding areas of Johnston county. Ask us about this exciting new offering.