Three Ways To Help An In-Home Caregiver Provide Your Loved One Who Has Dementia With The Best Care Possible
When a parent has dementia, giving them the care that they need can be difficult. People with dementia can often not be left alone because they could become injured or cause an accident to happen. If you have a loved one living with you who has dementia, consider hiring an in-home caregiver, like those at Tri-Valley Personal Home Care Services, to help you provide them with the care that they need when you need to go somewhere or simply want a break from the constant care that you need to provide to your loved one. The following guide walks you through a few things the caregiver will need to know before you head out for the day.
A Schedule for Your Loves One's Medication Intake
Before you leave to run errands, the caregiver needs to be provided with a detailed schedule for when your loved one needs to take their medications. Be sure to be specific about the timeline for the medications, the exact names of the medications, and the dose that your loved one takes of each medication to ensure that they are dispensed properly.
A List of Foods Your Loved One Enjoys Eating
Dementia can often make people have trouble recognizing people close to them. Bringing in a caregiver may not startle your loved one, unless they start to notice that the person does not know anything about them. Be sure to let the caregiver know what types of food your loved one enjoys eating the most to ensure that they eat well while you are gone and do not suspect that someone they do not know is at the house with them.
Create Detailed List of Quirks Your Loved One Has
The caregiver also needs to know if there are any quirks they need to look out for when it comes to your loved one. The caregiver needs to know if there is anything that your loved one likes to do on a regular basis so that they can properly plan for it. If your loved one likes to watch a specific show, enjoys playing cards, or goes for a walk on a regular basis, be sure to let the caregiver know so that he or she can stick to the same routine.
When you first start leaving your loved one with the caregiver, it is best to only be gone short periods of time. Contact the caregiver regularly to make sure that everything is going okay, and be sure to leave a direct number the caregiver can call if they need to reach you while you are out.
