Your dad has Alzheimer’s. The early stages are usually easy to manage. He may be a little forgetful, but it’s not any worse than that. As he heads into the middle and late stages, he’s going to need a lot of help.
As you help out, you’ll start to see where he needs the most help. Many family caregivers find that these are the roles they end up filling.
Appointment Scheduler
Your dad won’t remember when he needs to make appointments or when those appointments are. You do need to become his scheduler and organizer. Even with reminders from his dental and medical professionals, he’s going to forget that he has an appointment. It can get costly if the office charges a fee for missed appointments.
An online calendar helps with organization and reminders. It’s best if you have appointments written down in an appointment book or wall calendar and also on an online calendar with email and pop-up reminders. You won’t forget anything that way.
Bookkeeper
Your dad is going to need help paying his bills. He won’t remember they’re due. He may lose an understanding of basic math and struggle to keep his accounts balanced.
Cleaner
Even if he’s still cleaning, people with Alzheimer’s get easily sidetracked. He starts wiping down counters, forgets what he was doing, and moves to something else. Nothing is getting cleaned properly.
He’s going to need help doing his laundry, putting items away, and cleaning floors and surfaces. Having someone stop by each day or at least once a week to help him with these tasks is important.
Medication Organizer
Your dad will not remember to take the medications that help his Alzheimer’s symptoms. Someone needs to make sure he takes them, keeps track of when refills are needed, and pick up those refills.
Personal Chef
You’ve heard stories about people with dementia trying to cook meals. They start cooking something and walk away. They forget all about what’s on the stove or in the oven and a fire starts.
Your dad is going to need help with his meals. He needs someone to cook for him and make sure the meals meet his nutritional requirements. Left on his own, he might focus only on sweet foods like bananas, yogurts, ice cream, and pastries.
Personal Driver
After an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, your dad’s doctor is going to urge you to take his keys away. You don’t want him forgetting how to get home or becoming confused over road signs like “Do Not Enter” or “Stop.”
He’s going to need a driver for his appointments. He needs someone to drive him to and from a medical office. He needs someone to take him to a store and help him with the purchase.
Can you help him with everything he needs? If not, it’s imperative that you hire professional caregivers. He needs companionship. If he gets bored or antsy, he’s likely to go outside and wander off. He needs help with meals, choosing the right clothing, and remembering to take his Alzheimer’s medications.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering a Caregiver in Westminster, MD please contact the caring staff at Just Divine Home Care Agency today at (301) 219-1585.