Edison Home Health Care
Alzheimer’s disease affects many people and can be distressing to family life. The needs of the affected person depend on how far along they are in the disease, who is available to provide care, and the financial costs involved. Rather than considering an assisted living or continuing care facility for early and mid-stage Alzheimer’s, more families recognize the various benefits and are exploring the option of Home Care services.
Steps to finding the right care
• What do you need?: Does the individual live alone and need help with meals, medication reminders, and assistance with their morning or bedtime routines? Or maybe the patient is living in a household where the primary caregiver works during the day and can assist only for a limited number of hours throughout the day?
• Research before calling: In-home services are not all the same. Do thorough research online and find out the types of home care services provided and if they meet your specific needs. Home health care agencies train their caregivers in how to handle the individual needs of patients, particularly with memory loss, personality changes, or other symptoms of dementia.
• Set up an interview: Call a local home care agency and discuss the details important to you or your loved one. You can have all your home care questions answered by a care specialist. They will also assess the needs of your loved one and coordinate a care plan with their doctor.
Consider CDPAP
Another possibility is the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. CDPAP is a Medicaid program that allows an individual to hire a relative or close friend to act as their home care attendant, known as a personal assistant, and direct their own care. An overseeing home care agency can help with the CDPAP application and act as a liaison to handle all the paperwork and payroll.
Living with Alzheimer’s disease is very challenging, but with the right form of home care, an individual you care about and love won’t have to move into an assisted living facility, share their personal space with strangers, and be taken care of by care attendants, aides, and nurses that won’t take the time to get to personally know them. The CDPAP program allows the patient to be taken care of by someone they are close with and will understand their specific needs.
Selecting your personal assistant is an important decision to make. Both you and your loved one can benefit from the security of providing care in the comforts of home. To learn more about the benefits of home care for those living with Alzheimer’s, contact Edison Home Health Care to discover how your loved one can receive the support and individualized care they deserve.
