Is Home Health Care Good For Seniors With Dementia?

If your parent is starting to exhibit signs of dementia and is having trouble completing normal daily tasks alone, you might start considering getting help for your parent. There are multiple types of assistance you can consider, including home health care services. Home health care services can be a great solution for seniors with dementia, and here are a few things to know about this.

What home health care offers

Home health care services are used to provide care in a person's home, and most companies offer services on an a la carte basis. This means you can pick and choose the frequency of the services as well as the types of services needed. By allowing you to do this, you can work with a home health care company to create a unique plan that will be best for your parent. Here are some of the services these companies offer:

  • Medication assistance
  • Personal hygiene
  • Cooking and meals
  • Companionship
  • Errands and outings
  • Playing games and activities

Factors to consider when determining if this is a good solution

When a person has dementia, the symptoms tend to start off mildly at first and worsen with time. People with this disease may forget to do normal tasks each day, and they may wander off. They may also begin to experience short-term memory problems, and they may even have a hard time recognizing their own family members. If these are some of the symptoms your parent is experiencing, home health care might be a good option; however, there are times when moving to a nursing home might be better.

Here are some factors that you should consider as you determine what the best option is:

  • Are you worried that your parent might hurt him or herself?
  • Are you concerned your parent might walk someone and get lost?
  • Can your parent still manage to do normal daily tasks?

If you have fears that your parent may do something that could harm him or her, home health care might not be the best option, unless you plan on having a worker there all day and all night. On the other hand, if your parent is just starting to have some basic symptoms of dementia, he or she might be fine living at home with a caregiver coming and going each day.

These are just a few things to consider as you try to choose the best option for your parent. For more information, talk to a professional like Holly Heights Nursing Home.

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