Person-Centered Care for Dementia Patients, including Alzheimer's
Here at Rose’s Agency Home Care, we care for all kinds of Dementia patients, with Alzheimer’s being the most common. Our caregivers use a person-centered care approach to help patients improve their well-being and quality of life. To do so, we focus on five key elements of personalized care to ensure the people we care for are as healthy and happy as possible. These elements focus on empathy, active listening, communication, shared decision-making, and a thorough understanding of each individual's needs.
Types of Dementia
Alzheimer's - Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia, and according to the Alzheimer’s Association, it accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that leads to broken connections between nerve cells and tissue shrinkage in parts of the brain necessary to memory functions.
Lewey Body - Also known as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), this variety of dementia accounts for five to ten percent of dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It is marked by the presence of Lewy bodies—tiny deposits of protein—in the nerve cells in the brain. Because Lewy bodies are also present in Parkinson’s Disease, those with DLB may experience similar symptoms, such as tremors and other difficulties with movement, according to Family Caregiver Alliance. Those with Parkinson’s are also at high risk to develop DLB as their disease progresses.
Frontotemporal - Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a type of dementia that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are key to maintaining skills related to memory, language, judgment, problem-solving and behavioral and emotional regulation, according to Verywell Health. FTD was once thought to be the rarest form of dementia, but the Alzheimer’s Association now estimates that it makes up to 10 to 15 percent of dementia cases.
Vascular - Vascular dementia is the second most common variety of dementia, accounting for 20 to 40 percent of dementia cases, according to Verywell Health. Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to blood vessels that are diseased, blocked, leaky or otherwise damaged. Without the necessary blood supply, brain cells die, resulting in decreased memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Common early signs of vascular dementia include difficulty concentrating, slower speed of thinking, challenges following steps and problems with planning and decision-making.
Mixed - Mixed dementia occurs when a person has more than one type of dementia. The most common type of mixed dementia is Alzheimer’s/vascular, with the next being Alzheimer’s/Lewy body. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in ten of people diagnosed with dementia has evidence of more than one type of dementia present. However, the exact number of cases of mixed dementia is unknown because it is not often diagnosed or identified until an autopsy is performed. Research suggests that it may in fact be quite common, but studies on the subject are still ongoing.
How We Care for Patients with Alzheimer's
1. Empathy
When successfully caring for Dementia patients, it is important that one understands how they experience the world. For this reason, our caregivers take time to walk in their patient's shoes and connect with the emotional journey they experience while living with dementia. Taking an empathetic approach opens up caregivers to take in valuable information and deepen their level of care.
2. Active Listening
People with dementia aren’t always able to communicate as effectively as they would like. This makes it so important for caregivers to practice active listening when working with their patients. Our team is well-trained in balancing daily care needs with helpful eye contact and nonverbal responses to ensure dementia patients' needs remain a top priority at all times.
3. Tailor-Made Care Plans
To properly care for people with dementia, it is essential for caregivers to thoroughly understand their specific needs. Treating each patient as a unique individual is the key, and doing so can help ensure a better quality of life for them and their loved ones.
4. Shared Decision-Making
Ensuring the best possible care for dementia patients requires a shared decision-making process for everyone involved. This includes caregivers, family members, friends, and dementia patients themselves. By working together, information can be shared to make positive impacts in a variety of areas while also helping to strengthen important bonds for those involved.
5. Deep Communication
Our caregivers know how important it is to open up communication with their dementia patients. They do so by asking open-ended questions, triggering reflective conversations, and uncovering the things that really matter to the person being cared for. Building healthy communication channels also helps ensure that caregivers and patients work together to drive care plans in the right direction.
How We Care for Patients with All Forms of Dementia
Helping Prevent Dangerous Behaviors
By keeping a watchful eye on dementia patients at all times, our caregiving team can help reduce the risk of wandering and falling. Wandering and falling are common occurrences for people with dementia and caregivers can be a great help in preventing these actions from happening. Our team stays alert to entry points and is quick to identify hazards that patients could hit or trip on. By integrating these preventative measures, we can help reduce the risk of falling and ensure a patient’s whereabouts are always accounted for.
Engaging Patients with Stimulating Activities
Here at Rose’s, we encourage our dementia patients to engage in energizing activities that help lift their spirits and spark happy memories. Our patients immerse themselves in creative fields such as art and music that help stimulate their brains and brighten their days.
Keeping Patients Active and Mobile
Did you know that playing someone’s favorite song can help stimulate memory? Painting and art can help patients connect to their inner imagination and find a healthy way to express themselves. These meaningful activities can be a great way to help patients come alive, engage in everyday life and remember happy times in their lives...
Properly Managing Dementia Patient Medications
We understand how important it is for dementia patients to feel like they can still do certain things for themselves. Unfortunately, patients can often forget about hygiene-related tasks or simply find them too difficult to carry out on their own. Our caregiving team has years of experience in providing personal care support while also helping patients maintain their sense of independence.
Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits
Here at Rose’s, we use nutrition as a tool to improve the health of our patients. Diseases like dementia can be fought by eating the right foods and following a healthy diet that nourishes the brain. Our caregiving team supports patient health by shopping, cooking, and serving nutritious foods to our patients.
Providing Calming Personal Care & Improving Hygiene
We understand how important it is for dementia patients to feel like they can still do certain things for themselves. Unfortunately, patients can often forget about hygiene-related tasks or simply find them too difficult to carry out on their own. Our caregiving team has years of experience in providing personal care support while also helping patients maintain their sense of independence.
Transportation to Doctor's Appointments
Our caregiving team has years of experience in safely driving dementia patients to their destinations. Unfortunately, it gets increasingly difficult for dementia patients to drive themselves as time goes on. Eventually, these individuals can no longer drive a car safely and need support in getting around. The caregiving team at Rose’s Agency Home Care has great expertise in transporting dementia patients and works hard to ensure each of our patients has the best possible transport for their individual needs.
Understanding the Stages of Alzheimer's
Dementia ranges in severity and progresses in different stages. There are three general stages- Early, Middle, and Late. These stages can take years to advance depending on the patient, but each stage progresses in severity and requires more and more help from a Caregiver.
During the Early Stage of Alzhiemer’s, a person is still able to function. They are able to get up, get dressed, and take a shower. Daily tasks are able to be completed, but they might forget things from time to time. They may need assistance with not missing any appointments and remembering to take medicine. At times, there might be increased confusion. People can spend years in the early stages.
In the Middle Stages, there is a loss of identity and independence, and the person is increasingly forgetful. They may not be able to bathe themselves and might not be able to recall certain information such as their address or phone number.
The Late Stages are the most severe. A person has a hard time walking and getting out of bed, and might even need to be lifted. Communication is difficult, and they might not want to express what they need. Additionally, they might lose memories of recent experiences and surroundings. Issues such as incontinence may arise. Around-the-clock care is needed.
These are symptoms that caregivers need to be especially aware of and the ability to deal with them. At Rose’s Agency Home Care, we have qualified Caregivers to work with Alzheimer's patients.
How Dementia Risk and Exercise Are Linked
Impacts of Exercise on Dementia
Fortunately, seniors can help fight dementia risk by taking up regular exercise. For example, aerobic exercise can help increase the size of parts of the brain and help out with memory as well. Doing so can fight brain shrinkage that occurs as people get older and help reverse age-related decline.
When it comes to lifestyle habits, adopting a regular exercise routine is the best thing seniors can do to reduce their risk of getting dementia. In fact, studies show that regular exercise can lower dementia risk by approximately thirty percent. When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, exercise can reduce the risk by forty-five percent, almost half! Exercises such as walking, swimming, biking, and dancing are all examples of aerobic exercises that can bring these desired benefits.
Cold water swimming in particular has been identified as an exercise that could be useful at reducing dementia risk. Recent research studies have shown a link between swimming in cold water and a healthier brain. Doing so could potentially slow age-related cognitive decline and even offer clues to future cures for dementia. Scientists know that a cool body can slow cell destruction and protect important synapses in the brain that help human beings function properly.
As you can see, exercise can play an important role in both preventing and understanding dementia risk. Aerobic workouts such as walking and swimming can help keep the brain sharp and reduce shrinkage that occurs in the mind during the aging process. In addition to helping with dementia, exercising can bring other benefits to seniors looking to stay healthy. This includes improved mental health, opportunities for socialization, boosts in cardiovascular health, and lower levels of joint pain. For more questions about getting a loved one caregiver support, please contact us by clicking here.
Over the years, many studies have shown a link between exercise and dementia risk for seniors. For example, we now know that walking can help signal potential health risks among older adults. In fact, a recent study of nearly seventeen thousand older people in the US and Australia found a link between walking speed and dementia risk.
According to the study, dementia risk increased the most among older adults with declining walking speeds and memory. “These results highlight the importance of gait in dementia risk assessment,” writes corresponding author Taya Collyer, a research fellow at Peninsula Clinical School at Monash University in Victoria, Australia
I couldn't imagine caring for my parents without the help of your categivers. They not only gave my parents a sense of comfort in their final stages of alzheimer's, but they also helped me gain more time in my day to run my daily errands. I don't know where we would be without your caregivers. Thank you so much!
Fred Q. / West Hollywood