Alzheimer’s Home Care: A Tribute to Caregivers on World Alzheimer’s Day

Each September, organizations and individuals from around the globe come together for World Alzheimer’s Month. During this month, many support spreading awareness about dementia and Alzheimer’s while trying to destigmatize this chronic condition.

In order to do our part in supporting World Alzheimer’s Day, in this article, we’ll go over Alzheimer’s risk factors, early Alzheimer’s symptoms, and how choosing an Alzheimer’s home care provider is beneficial.

What is World Alzheimer’s Day?

World Alzheimer’s Day occurs every year in September and is on the 21st. Most often, in the build-up to and on the day of, many different Alzheimer’s and dementia associations around the globe host fundraisers and have awareness-spreading activities or campaigns, all with the intention to bring more attention toward the Alzheimer’s community.

Over six million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s. This number is projected to continue growing as the population ages, highlighting the need to ensure and implement proper channels for adequate Alzheimer’s care.

Dementia is a serious health issue and presents one of our time’s most significant health and social crises. As previous studies and reports show, dementia will have serious implications on services and health systems worldwide as the world’s population ages.

What is the theme for World Alzheimer’s Day 2023?

The theme for this year’s World Alzheimer’s Month is ‘Never too early, never too late.’ The goal of this year’s theme is to emphasize the importance of identifying risk factors and proactive intervention to reduce the impact of Alzheimer’s while also advocating for better Alzheimer’s care.

This includes further pushing for risk reduction strategies for those who have already been diagnosed. There is an urgent need to understand and respond to the risk factors of dementia and Alzheimer’s since the global figure of individuals diagnosed with dementia is expected to triple by 2050.

Alzheimer’s Risk Factors You Need To Know

When it comes to understanding the risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s, there are some indicators that should be addressed sooner than others. If you are concerned about a loved one in your life, alternatives and options are available to help ensure they continue living their life to the fullest.

Chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s can make daily tasks difficult to complete alone. Often, taking on the role of a care provider is strenuous and challenging to incorporate into anyone’s life, especially if it’s spontaneous or sudden. This is why options like in-home care are available. Home care is a great way to introduce structure, rehabilitation, and stimulation to an Alzheimer’s patient’s environment.

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Memory Loss
One of the most prevalent signs of early dementia is memory problems. This is most present in an individual’s short-term memory, where they have trouble remembering recent events. Memory problems are often associated with getting older, but someone experiencing early Alzheimer’s will forget more context and details than usual.

For example, a person experiencing typical memory problems may briefly forget their neighbor’s name but will still remember that the person is their next-door neighbor. A person experiencing Alzheimer’s may forget more than just the neighbor’s name. They may forget the person and other context altogether.

Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks
Individuals with dementia can find it difficult to complete everyday tasks. These tasks are usually so familiar that standard people complete them without thinking about them. Someone with dementia may forget or get confused about what order to put clothes on in or forget the steps for preparing a meal.

Problems With Language
People with dementia frequently forget simple words and can substitute odd or unusual words in their place. This makes their speech or writing more difficult to understand and comprehend. This also plays a factor in their conversational skills. Following and engaging in conversation becomes more difficult, leading them to become more socially withdrawn.

Disorientation in Time and Place
We all can occasionally forget the day of the week or where we are heading temporarily, but for those with dementia they can become lost in very familiar places easier. Things such as forgetting which road their home is on, forgetting where they are, how they got to their location, and not knowing how to get back home are very common. Another common sign for people with Alzheimer’s is confusing night and day.

Misplacing Things Or Placing Them In Odd Places
It is common for anyone to temporarily misplace their wallet, keys, or other small items. But, those with dementia may lose things habitually or place them in extremely odd and inappropriate places, such as an iron in the fridge or their watch in the sugar bowl.

Changes in Mood or Behaviour
Dementia has been known to cause individuals to become unusually emotional, experience sudden mood swings, or be irritable for no evident reason. Alternatively, they can also exhibit the opposite of this behaviour, where they show less emotion or avoid social interaction more than previously.

Trouble With Images or Spatial Relationships
People with dementia or Alzheimer’s can have increased difficulty reading, judging spatial distance, seeing objects properly, and determining color or contrast. This differs from typical age-related problems where the vision can be impacted because of conditions such as cataracts.

How A Home Care Provider Can Help With Alzheimer’s

When it comes to getting the best Alzheimer’s care, home care can help make all the difference. Alzheimer’s is not a simple condition, and the experience of healthcare professionals can help alleviate a significant amount of stress.

Informal caregivers who responded to the World Alzheimer’s Report in 2022 found that stress was a common factor when coping with Alzheimer’s care responsibilities. It also found the following:

• 54% of informal caregivers said they feel stress often or all the time.
• 39% of informal caregivers said they feel stress some of the time.
• Only 8% of informal carers said they rarely or never felt stress.

These statistics reinforce the need for quality, compassionate home care. Alzheimer’s home care professionals are able to help assess and create personalised care to best suit the needs of your loved one. Studies show when Alzheimer’s care takes into consideration personal history, individual traits, and characteristics, it has been shown there is a positive impact on slowing the progress of the disease.

Some specific sections where Alzheimer’s home care can benefit the individual include:

Speech Therapy
Since Alzheimer’s can affect how an individual interprets speech, comprehension, and conversation skills, in-home speech therapy can help foster better retention and use. Speech therapists can advise on language, communication, information processing, and memory guidelines. As well as more functional objectives like eating, drinking, and swallowing recommendations.

In-home speech therapy can help reinforce and strengthen learning and retention for both the individual and their family. It’s also important to ensure that your home care provider will tailor their sessions to best support the individual’s natural environment.

Occupational Therapy
Alzheimer’s can make daily living tasks difficult, especially when multiple symptoms are present. Occupational therapists play a pivotal role in enhancing function, maintaining healthy emotional connections, promoting social participation, and supporting daily skills and routines. They also create opportunities for patients to engage in occupational tasks to feel more productive.

In-home occupational therapists have a big hand in ensuring that people with Alzheimer’s remain safe in their homes. This can be done by assessing and identifying any hazards within the home that could present a fall risk or other kinds of physical injuries.

How to Find the Best Alzheimer’s Care in Glendale

With Alzheimer’s care, it can feel very daunting and uneasy, but with Saint George Home Health Care, we take the time to assess and personalise care plans for your loved one. Home health care services are designed to help support the patient’s needs and give families peace of mind.

Our licenced, experienced nurses are certified in multiple disciplines like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and more in order to provide the best Alzheimer’s care possible. To learn more about our in-home health services in Glendale or to book your free consultation, call (818)-369-1167 or book online through our website.