Understanding Alzheimer’s And The Precautions You Must Take

When your parent or other senior loved one is first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is normal to feel overwhelmed. Most people do not understand Alzheimer’s or what safety precautions are necessary to keep those with the disease safe until they’ve gotten professional help.

At iCare Home Health, we provide Alzheimer’s care in Oakville and have supported many families coping with this disease. We can help you protect your loved one and manage Alzheimer’s, from the comfort of your senior’s own home. For starters, lets discuss the basics of Alzheimer’s and what kind of precautions you will need to take.

1. You Can’t Judge Your Parent By Their Best Day

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, which means it slowly gets worse overtime. However, it doesn’t get worse consistently, with everyday a tiny bit worse than the last. Instead, your loved one may experience very bad days, and very good days, with an overall trend of worsening symptoms. There are three distinct stages of Alzheimer’s, but your parent may seem to have moderate impairment one day, and mild the next.

For family members, this is both confusing and heartbreaking. It is easy to see your parent on one of their best days and feel like they don’t need home care or additional support. However, tomorrow could be one of their worst days. You need to make decisions that will keep your senior loved one safe on their worst days, because you can’t predict them.

2. Home Safety Precautions

Overtime, your parent with Alzheimer’s will need more safety features in their home. It can be hard to know exactly what they need, and through our companion care services, we can guide you as to which precautions are needed.

Still, here are some things you need to prepare for:

• Install better lighting to increase visibility.
• Remove rugs or tape them down to prevent falls.
• Install locks on cupboards with dangerous materials.
• Remove kitchen appliances which aren’t being used safely.
• Install a burner lock on the stove.

3. Your Parent May Leave Home Without Warning

In moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, the last two stages, your parent may have trouble remembering where to go, who to call, or where home is. If they leave home unattended, they could get lost or injured. Unfortunately, those in this stage tend to wander. At this point, you may need more in-home supervision and safety precautions to keep your parent safe. Our Alzheimer’s care in Oakville, including our companion care services, can help.