There are numerous reasons why your loved one might need 24-hour live-in assistance and care. Here are some of the benefits of having a home caregiver at your disposal for taking care of a loved one.
Agitation and Wandering
For patients with dementia, managing sundowning can pose a severe issue. Sundowning is a term for periodic agitation and confusing by late-day, which are a regular symptom of dementia. Having someone on hand to evaluate and manage this on a daily basis can be instrumental. The caregiver can redirect the person by focusing their attention on something else. This is a regular technique for calming those living with dementia.
Transfers And Personal Care
People sometimes require assistance for bathing, getting dressed and transferring. This can be a result of dementia or physical issues related to chronic medical illness or injury. Bathing safely can be a substantial obstacle for many individuals. It can be a huge relief to the family members to have someone that is assisting or standing by while their family member is bathing. The caregiver can assist with personal hygiene, dressing and undressing.
Fall Prevention
Caregivers are helpful in avoiding falls for the elderly. Falls are more likely to happen at night when they go to the bathroom. A live-in all day and all night caregiver can go with someone for bathroom breaks. In daytime, the caregiver can evaluate the patient’s movements and promote safe activities for strengthening muscles. If physical therapy is needed, the caregiver can assist by ensuring the client do the exercises in a safe manner.
Assisting With Cooking Meals And Eating
Dementia and other neurological conditions can influence a patient’s ability to cook meals and eat. Loss of appetite is a regular issue for those with dementia. The 24-hour live-in caregiver can prepare meals, assist with proper eating, and offer hydration reminders. They can do shopping and planning of specialty meals, particularly for people with dietary restrictions.
Pet Care
Individuals often need assistance to help care for their beloved pets. This includes grooming, feeding, kitty litter change, and veterinary visits. Pet walking can pose a severe trip hazard for the elderly. A caregiver can go with your loved one while they walk their dog, for instance, to ensure safety.
Stimulation and Companionship
In most instances, a combination of factors can require 24-hour live-in care. Stimulation and companionship can have a detrimental positive influence on a person’s well-being and mood. The caregiver can assist the patient with dementia to stay occupied, and offer the right stimulating activities like puzzles, movies, or games.
Medication Reminders
In numerous states it is not permitted for the caregiver to administer medications. However, they can remind patients to take their medications and even generate a medication list to monitor consistency. The caregiver can report medication compliance problems and they can check for possible side effects of the drugs.
Live-in care entails at least two caregivers living 24 hours per day at a person’s home. The requirements for live-in care differs in every state, however, here are some of the usual requirements:
- The caregiver must have an area to sleep and private sleeping quarters must be offered in a homelike environment.
- They are not considered as a resident in the home.
- The same caregiver may only be booked for a specific number of days in a period after which another caregiver takes over the other shifts.
- Breaks must be given in the 24-hour period.
- A caregiver must be compensated for the time if they are interrupted in their sleep.
