Facing the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most difficult things a family caregiver can experience with their aging loved one. At this point in this progressive disease, your aging loved one will lose their ability to interact with the world around them, communicate effectively, and handle any of their own care. Eventually they will lose their ability to sit, walk, swallow, and speak, and will need care 24 hours a day. Care at this point in the disease is focused on maintaining comfort, preserving respect and dignity, and preparing for their end-of-life transition.
Some ways you will care for your senior in the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Ensure you have a dedicated care team in place to provide for your parent’s care needs 24 hours a day. You will not be able to do this on your own, and the help of an elder care provider, friends, and family will all be important to helping your parent, and supporting you.
- Consider beginning hospice care for your parent. This is a specialized care designed to address pain and other symptoms, and to cease any form of life-saving procedures. This type of care provides support for your parent, as well as for you, and can be used in conjunction with all other forms of care already in place.
- Continue to talk to your parent. There is no clear evidence to prove your senior cannot hear you, or does not still find meaning in the presence of others. Talking to, hugging, and holding the hand of your parent can also be deeply meaningful for you, and help to keep you focused on the value of this relationship, and the meaning of your care.
- Practice aggressive germ control to protect your parent from infections such as pneumonia. If you are ill, or if you have been caring for a child that is ill, utilize respite care to prevent the spread of germs to your senior.
Starting senior care for your aging parent does not mean you don’t care about them, or that you don’t want to be their caregiver. Instead, introducing an elderly home care services provider into your regular care approach for your parent is a way to show them how much you love them, and to ensure the quality of their care throughout their later years. These customized services are specifically designed to meet your senior’s needs and limitations in the ways that are right for them. This means staying healthier and safer while also maintaining the most independence and autonomy as they can even as they progress through the stages of this disease. During the later stages, an elderly home care services provider can help to promote greater dignity for your parent, and also give you a sense of relief as you cope with your own responses to this challenging time.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elder care in Seneca, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.
Sources
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/stages
https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors
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