Home Care Services in Westchester, IL: Strategies for Coping with Challenges

There can be many challenges to face when coping with an elderly adult who has Alzheimer’s disease. When your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with this disease, you should know there are a variety of medical treatments available. There are quite a few decisions to make as well, whether or not you are going to live full-time with the Alzheimer’s patient and learn how to cope with challenges on a daily basis, or use an in-home care provider to help you care for this loved one.

There will be a lot of supervising and watching over the loved one with Alzheimer’s. There is your loved one’s physical and psychological safety to look after. There will be strange behaviors related to the disease that you will need to know how to manage.

Issues that need to be addressed

1. Driving. When any form of dementia has progressed to a certain level, the patient is no longer capable of safe driving. However, studies have shown that even in the earliest part of the disease, driving is hazardous and the likelihood of a collision is increased.
2. Wandering. This poses great danger to the patient’s safety, and results in great fear and worry for the caregiver. Any hour of the day or night, the person afflicted with any type of dementia might just wander away. It’s frightful for the family to think about their loved one alone and lost somewhere, especially in the middle of the night.
3. Home Safety. For the Alzheimer’s patient, every room of the house she has access to must be considered for safety. If you’re not sure what to look for or what to change, contact your local Alzheimer’s society for some guidance.

Problems that may arise when addressing the issues

1. Driving – the ability to drive is considered by most people to be the ultimate symbol of freedom and independence. Many elderly people are very reluctant to give up their keys and the freedom of driving. Some tactics used by some families to prevent driving when the elderly person is obviously not fit to do so is to hide the keys or park the car around the corner (where it’s out of sight, out of mind). Disabling the car by removing spark plugs may work, or getting the patients doctor to tell him not to drive (have him write it on a prescription pad or the senior will forget).
2. Wandering – You will start wondering about how to lock your loved one in so she can’t escape, yet not feel like you are holding her hostage in her own home. Contact an Alzheimer’s support group to get some ideas on what to do. You want to ensure her safety and yet not have it become a fire hazard because people can’t get out of the house quickly. Have your elderly loved one wear a bracelet with ID on it to aid in her safe return should she wander away. There are transmitters – tracking devices – available from private companies. Seeking some support in this area is essential for you as the caregiver.

For Home Care Services in Westchester, IL call 708-761-4909. Serving La Grange, Oakbrook, Oak Brook Terrace, Brookfield, Westchester, Downers Grove, Berwyn, River Forest, Oak Park, Hinsdale, Chicago and surrounding communities.