Dementia Home Care: A Guide for Family Caregivers and Seniors

Information

Understanding dementia home care seniors is important for seniors and their caregivers. a loved one with

will need support in the home as the disease gets worse. You can help by trying to understand how the person with dementia perceives their world. Give the person a chance to talk about any challenges and take part in their own

.

Start by talking with your loved one’s

. Ask how you can:

• Help the person stay calm and oriented
• Make dressing and grooming easier
• Talk to the person
• Help with memory loss
• Manage

  behavior and sleep problems

• Encourage activities that are both stimulating and enjoyable

Tips for reducing confusion in people with dementia include:

• Have familiar objects and people around. Family photo albums can be useful.
• Try to maintain a regular sleep and eating schedule.
• Keep lights on at night.
• Use reminders, notes, lists of routine tasks, or directions for daily activities.
• Stick to a simple activity schedule.
• Talk about current events.

Taking regular walks with a caregiver can help improve communication skills and prevent wandering.

Calming music may reduce wandering and restlessness, ease anxiety, and improve sleep and behavior.

People with dementia should have their eyes and ears checked. If problems are found, hearing aids, glasses, or cataract surgery may be needed.

People with dementia should also have regular driving tests. At some point, it won’t be safe for them to

. This may not be an easy decision. Seek help from their provider and other family members. State laws vary on the ability of a person with dementia to continue to drive.

Supervised meals can help with feeding. People with dementia often forget to eat and drink, and can become dehydrated as a result. Talk to the provider about the need for extra calories due to increased physical activity from restlessness and wandering.

Also talk to the provider about:

• Watching for risk of choking and what to do if choking occurs
• How to increase

  safety in the home

• How to prevent falls
• Ways to improve

  bathroom safety

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Safe Return Program provides people with dementia an identification bracelet. If they wander, their caregiver can contact the police and the national Safe Return office, where information about them is stored and shared nationwide.

Eventually, people with dementia may need 24-hour monitoring and assistance to provide a safe environment, control aggressive or agitated behavior, and meet their needs.

LONG-TERM CARE

A person with dementia may need monitoring and help at home or in an institution. Possible options include:

• Adult day care
• Adult family homes
• Boarding homes
• Nursing homes
• In-home care

Many organizations are available to help you care for a person with dementia. They include:

• Adult protective services
• Community resources
• Local or state government departments of aging
• Visiting nurses or aides
• Volunteer services

In some communities, dementia-related

may be available. Family counseling can help family members cope with home care.

Advance directives,

, and other legal actions may make it easier to decide on care for the person with dementia. Seek legal advice early, before the person is unable to make these decisions.

There are

that can provide information and resources for people with

and their caregivers.

Caring for someone with dementia; Home care – dementia

Basco MD, Gorgon EJ, Barredo R, Schulte OJ, Stephens J, Joyce A. Aging, dementia, and disorders of cognition. In: Lazaro RT, Reina-Guerra SG, Quiben MU, eds.

7th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2020:chap 27.

Budson AE, Solomon PR. Life adjustments for memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. In: Budson AE, Solomon PR, eds.

3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 28.

Budson AE, Solomon PR. Why diagnose and treat memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia? In: Budson AE, Solomon PR, eds.

3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 1.

Knopman DS. Cognitive impairment and dementia. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds.

27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 371.

Paulsen JS, Gehl C. Neuropsychology. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds.

8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 44.

Peterson RC, Graff-Radford J. Alzheimer disease and other dementias. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds.

8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 95.

Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

• Alzheimer’s Caregivers

• Alzheimer’s Disease

• Dementia

• Home Care Services