Blog > Importance of 24-Hour Home Care When Your Mom Has Alzheimer’s

Importance of 24-Hour Home Care When Your Mom Has Alzheimer's

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America chose November for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. It’s a month where donations from the October walkathons are tallied and invested in ongoing research. On November 3rd, buildings across the nation were lit up in teal to bring awareness to the disease and the 6.5 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. If you’re one of the estimated 16 million family caregivers, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is a great time to discuss current care plans and where to go from here. Maybe it’s time to consider 24-hour home care services for your loved one.

Changes Within the Home

A few things you can do when caring for your mom are to help at home. Glare-free lighting is important. You want to avoid having shadowy areas, as they can trigger anxiety and lead to emotional meltdowns. Floor-level LED puck lights that turn on when it starts to get dark illuminate stairs and hallways to help prevent tripping.

Make sure furniture is out of the way and not creating a trip hazard. Your mom’s vision will start to change over time. Get rid of loose throw rugs, especially those that contrast. What looks like a darker color rug on pale wood flooring to you may appear to be a gaping hole in the floor to your mom.

Invest in technology as much as you can. Light bulbs that you can turn on remotely or set to timers will help. Being able to control the temperature in her home remotely is also helpful in making sure she doesn’t crank up the heat or AC unexpectedly.

The bathroom will become a challenging area as your mom’s balance and strength diminish. A shower chair is going to be needed, and you’ll want a hand-held shower wand to make bathing easier. Large, warm towels keep her warm while you’re bathing specific areas. Consider adding a room heating overhead light to eliminate her feeling cold while you bathe her.

Install alarms on doors and windows. In the middle stages, your mom will start asking to go home. When this happens, she’s more likely to try to get outside and start wandering. If you’re in the middle of a task or going to the bathroom when she slips outside, she could get lost. Alarms help alert you.

Irregular Sleep Cycles Make It Hard to Keep Providing Care On Your Own

24-Hour Home Care Lake City FL – Importance of 24-Hour Home Care When Your Mom Has Alzheimer’s

At some point, 24-hour home care services are essential. Your mom cannot be left alone, and it’s highly likely she’s only sleeping here and there. Sleep cycles are not the same as Alzheimer’s progresses.

You cannot risk your health to a severe lack of sleep. Arrange 24-hour home care services to ensure you can get a full night’s sleep while your mom has caregivers all night to help redirect her and keep her from wandering off.

Talk to our home care agency and ask about prices of 24-hour home care. It’s important that you take care of yourself first and your mom second. You both need to have you well rested and energized for another day.

Sources: https://alzfdn.org/alzawarenessmonth/