When a member of the family has Alzheimer’s disease, family members may not be able to help out as much as they would have liked because of distance or other barriers. Alzheimer’s care services can take on a lot of the daily tasks that support people with Alzheimer’s to live a safe and healthy life. They can also offer a great deal of support to family members who want to maintain some closeness with the person who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Making Solid Communication Plans
One of the first steps is to make solid communication plans. Whether family members live in the same town or far away, having a communication plan lets everyone know what to expect. This plan might include check-in scheduling with home care providers, setting up times and dates for video calls, and even schedules for in-person visits. People with Alzheimer’s disease need to know what to expect, and communication removes a lot of doubt.
Personalizing the Environment
Another idea is to personalize the senior’s environment with mementos and reminders of family members and friends. Photos, favorite books, and other items that help people with Alhzeimer’s disease to reminisce about the people they care about are really powerful. When family members and friends can’t be there in person, there are still reminders.
Sharing Stories and Life Updates
Even people who don’t have Alzheimer’s disease find it tough to stay up to date about what is happening when they live far away from loved ones. Families can make this easier for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease by making it a point to share updates and stories with each other. Mixing new information with older memories and stories can help to tie those experiences to each other, especially for people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Finding Ways to Engage in Hobbies Together
Technology allows people to do things together even if they’re far away. In-person visits are great, but it’s also possible to set up virtual visits through video calls, phone calls, and online “viewing parties” to do things like enjoy crafting together, watch a movie together, or listen to music together. Sharing these types of experiences creates joy and moments of connection.
Celebrating Special Occasions
Celebrating a variety of different milestones together also helps. This is something else that families can do virtually or in person whenever possible. Birthdays, holidays, and milestone events are important events to include seniors with Alzheimer’s disease in through a variety of methods. Acknowledging those special days and events makes those occasions memorable and Alzheimer’s care providers can help make those possible.
Alzheimer’s makes life challenging in so many ways. But there are still opportunities to create connections with seniors who have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s care providers can do a lot to help foster those connections as well, especially for seniors who live alone and far away from the friends and family members that they love. Even small gestures of connection help to remind seniors with Alzheimer’s disease that the people they love also love them.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s care in Wheaton, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today at (630) 964-9000.
There are several great reasons why Suburban Home Care® should be your choice for quality homecare. All of our Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides are screened, trained, bonded and insured.
Every family needs to be aware that almost every Homeowner’s insurance policy specifically excludes anyone working within your home. If the person you hire becomes injured while working for you, you will become personally responsible for all of their medical bills. This has left several families very vulnerable when their caregiver injured themselves at their home.
The potential to lose everything you have worked so hard to achieve seems an unnecessary risk. Every one of Suburban Home Care®’s employees are completely covered by insurance so you and your loved ones can relax knowing that if something unforeseen happens to your caregiver, they are completely covered by insurance.
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