The late stages of Alzheimer’s disease are a very difficult time. This is the end of the journey for your aging parent, and for you as their family caregiver, and will require tremendous effort. The care that you give them now is about supporting their comfort and quality of life as they transition through the end of their life, and now is the time to start considering how you will move forward when the time comes.
Use these tips to help you care for a senior, and for yourself, in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease:
- Increase care. Your parent will no longer be able to handle any of their care tasks on their own and will need 24-hour care. You will not be able to handle this on your own and will need help. If your parent has a senior care provider, ensure that they are with your parent as frequently as needed to ensure they get proper care and that you can take care of yourself as well. If they do not, now is the time to start. You might need to consider more than one provider depending on the amount of time that you are able to care for your senior and your other obligations.
- Do not forget the rest of your life. Though this is a challenging time and you will want to be with your parent caring for them as much as you can, it is important that you do not forget about the rest of your life and your other obligations. You might have a partner, children, a career, volunteer positions, a home, and of course, yourself, and it is vital for your own well-being, as well as the future quality of your life, that you take the time to continue nurturing these other elements of your life even while caring for your senior.
- Follow your parent’s wishes. Hopefully you took the time to record your parent’s thoughts, feelings, and wishes regarding their end-of-life transition during the early phase of the disease. Review these notes and make sure that you are doing as much as you can to respect these wishes. This will not only make making difficult decisions during this time easier, but will also help you to feel more confident that you are showing your parent the love and respect that they deserve.
Whether you have recently found out that your aging parent is living with Alzheimer’s disease, or they have been progressing through this disease for some time and have developed symptoms that you do not feel you can handle on your own, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting senior care for them. A senior home care services provider can act as a supplement to the care that you already give your senior so that you can feel confident that they are getting everything that they need, while also reducing your stress, easing your care burden, and allowing you to focus on your own health, well-being, and quality of life. These highly personalized services can include managing sensitive tasks that you are not comfortable handling, providing safe transportation, offering companionship and support, assisting with activities of daily living, and providing personal care designed to specifically help your loved one with the struggles that they are facing now, and those that they may develop later in their progression.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring senior care in Simpsonville, 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_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp
https://alz.org/10-signs-symptoms-alzheimers-dementia.asp
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