When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, we understand how overwhelming it can be to see him or her coping with the cognitive and physical symptoms that are unavoidably changing every day. It can be even more difficult when you are the one undergoing these changes. When activities of daily living and preserving one’s health starts feeling like a full-time job for your family, it can be difficult physically and emotionally. If your family is having a hard time balancing caregiving with personal responsibilities, we can help.
This is where the team at Nursing Plus of Broward comes in. Our specialized physical, occupational, Speech Therapists, Skilled Nurses, Medical Social Workers and Home Health Aides receive special training to care for seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease and understand what you’re going through as well as the concerns you’re experiencing. We’re happy to provide our patients and their families with support on a variety of different levels – we offer professional, compassionate care catered to the needs of you or your loved one. From our Physical and Occupational Therapy Services focused on improving or maintaining function of seniors with Alzheimers’ to enable them to remain safely at home, to Home Health Aides who can assist with activities of daily living such as grooming and dressing assistance, Nursing Plus of Broward is ready to help ensure that you or your loved one is able to make the most of their time – in the comfort of a place called home.
While you or your loved one is undergoing these memory changes and other symptoms, you and your family may have difficulty balancing caregiving with careers, parenting, and other responsibilities. It is also common that long distances separate parents and adult children. You may feel like an assisted living facility or nursing home is the only option, but you do have a choice and we can help.
With the compassionate professionals at Nursing Plus of Broward, seniors living with Alzheimer’s Disease can age in place, in the comfort of their own homes. Research has shown that moving an Alzheimer’s patient from their familiar surroundings can trigger significant confusion, agitation, stress and anxiety. Change can be stressful for anyone and can be especially difficult and fear-inducing for someone trying to make sense out of an increasingly confusing world. Other situations that may affect the behavior of someone with Alzheimer’s:
Providing skilled care in the patient’s home is often the best care choice for the patient. Our Alzheimer’s Care Services ensure those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease are able to remain in the space where they are most familiar and comfortable.
With the personalized care of our Skilled Nurses, Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, Medical Social Workers and Home Health Aides coupled with specialized training and years of experience in caring for Alzheimer’s patients, you can rest assured quality of care isn’t sacrificed because it is being given at home. At Nursing Plus of Broward, we believe that it’s possible to provide hospital-level care in the comfort of the patient’s own home. That means that Alzheimer’s patients will receive expert care provided by experienced professionals without having to leave the safety and familiarity of their current environment behind.
Our team will create a personalized care plan tailored to each patient and each family’s needs. This is done by carefully assessing the patient to determine which stage of Alzheimer’s Disease they are currently experiencing and whether or not there are underlying health issues that could make providing care difficult. This allows the team to carefully create a caregiving pattern that works best for patients and their loved ones alike.
Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of Dementia. Common symptoms are memory loss and a persistent and progressive decline in cognitive ability. This often culminates in anxiety, confusion, and stress in just about any situation. As the patient declines and their memory becomes poorer, their need for consistent care will become increasingly important. It is entirely possible that the patient will eventually begin to forget where they live or how to do everyday activities like driving a vehicle, for example, which can lead to incredibly dangerous situations if they are left to care for themselves.
There are a few specific things to look out for if you’re concerned you or a loved one might be suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Memory loss, including repeatedly requesting the same information, is one big sign that something is going on in the patient’s brain that might require medical attention. Forgetting familiar objects and faces along with difficulty in writing and speaking are other Alzheimer’s symptoms. Finally, dramatic changes in one’s personality or mood could be indicative of Alzheimer’s Disease. These are not the only symptoms, of course, but they are some of the most common ones we can help with.
Our Alzheimer’s Care is personalized around each patient’s care needs. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease of the brain that slowly causes impairment in memory and cognitive function – put simply, the disease gets worse with time and affects memory, language, and thought.
Depending on if you or your loved one is in early, middle, or late stage, our team will provide the appropriate level of medical care is given, with careful consideration to other health concerns or details that may need to be factored in.
In early stages, people may experience behavior and personality changes such as:
In later stages, other symptoms may occur including:
Common types of in-home services to improve the lives of those with Alzheimer’s:
In addition to memory loss, patients will show changes in sensory processing, social interactions, and physical function, causing issues of personal hygiene, judgement, and/or inability to remember how to do daily tasks.
Our Occupational Therapists can help with suggesting alterations to the environment in order for one to function better by resolving challenges and obstacles to comfort, security, and ease of mind. We’ll come to the patient’s home to assess the environment and listen to your family’s concerns or observations of current struggles to make recommendations on home modifications such as removing throw rugs, installing locks and safety latches on doors and cabinets, or providing a bedpan or bedside commode in the bedroom due to continence issues.
Our Physical Therapists may also assist with, recommend and instruct one’s caregiver in exercises that help to maintain mobility as well as build up endurance, range of motion, and strength.
The loss of ability to communicate experiences and feelings can put a strain on relationships with family members and caregivers. Our Occupational Therapists can help to identify what seems to trigger these behaviors and possible solutions to:
Additionally, our therapists can recommend activities that Alzheimer’s patients can do with caregivers or family members tailored to their abilities, needs, and interests. Activities can help keep patients calmer and more occupied and setting up familiar and simple tasks such as laundry folding, simple puzzles, and sorting objects can benefit you or your loved one with the opportunity to do tasks that are fulfilling.
As mentioned before, our Occupational Therapists aim to help improve the functionality of life for those suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease. We can help set up routines and train caregivers/family members on techniques that make it easier to assist your you or loved one with daily activities with guidance on how to:
Research shows physical activity is one of the strongest ways to improve your brain health. Regular physical activity throughout
the stages of Alzheimer’s has been shown to improve:
A Skilled Therapist can use exercises and techniques that are both simple to understand and unique. Regular Physical Therapy sessions from our experienced team at Nursing Plus of Broward can assist in slowing the progression of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in ways such as:
Although the root of behavioral symptoms is from the effect of Alzheimer’s Disease on the brain, it’s important to have medical professionals evaluate for other treatable conditions that could be contributing to behavior. For example:
Monitor medications and identify any drug side effects or interactions amongst drugs that are affecting behavior
Identify infections, discomforts, or other conditions. Since you or your loved one may have difficulty communicating with others about their experiences and feelings, he or she may be unable to report symptoms of common illnesses. Our Skilled Nurses, Therapists, and Alzheimer’s Care professionals know the signs to look for – Pain from infections of the urinary tract, ear or sinuses may lead to restlessness or agitation. Discomfort from a full bladder, constipation, or feeling too hot or too cold also may be expressed through behavior.
Identify problems with hearing or vision. With years of experience treating Alzheimer’s patients and vigilant observation, our team can identify problems with hearing or vision that can be contributing to confusion, frustration, and further fostering a sense of isolation.
In addition to providing licensed medical care to our patients, our team offers a number of additional services designed to help make the situation a bit easier on everyone involved. If you or your loved one has difficulty remembering to bathe and groom themselves, we have Home Health Aides who are able to assist with this activity. The Home Health Aide also may assist in light housekeeping duties. You or your loved one will always have clean sheets and a light meal meal when you decide to work with us and take advantage of the comprehensive support services we offer.
Our goal is to provide excellent care while maintaining patient dignity wherever and however possible. That means that we design our help around our patients’ needs and don’t believe in a “one size fits all” care plan. Just as every patient and situation are different, so too are our care plans.
For more information about how the team at Nursing Plus of Broward, providers of in-home care Hallandale, FL, and the surrounding areas, can help you or your loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease, reach out to us today. We’re happy to help provide the medical and home health care your family needs during this trying time. Your comfort and peace of mind are important to us, and we provide care as discreetly as possible so that you can enjoy the time you or your loved one has left with as much comfort and functionality as possible.
