Have you started to notice that your elderly loved one seems to be struggling with certain cognitive functions? Perhaps you’re not sure if it’s just a typical part of getting old, or if it’s something more serious, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Care management services can help family caregivers observe and identify symptoms and how to best care for their loved ones.
As the caregiver of an elderly loved one, it can be a bit disconcerting to have your elderly loved one ask you the same question repeatedly, but understanding if it’s just typical forgetfulness or something more serious is an important first step toward getting your loved one the help they need.
Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that affects the elderly. While almost everyone discovers that as they age, they slow down with how they process information and often forget minor things, the key to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is how much this decline affects their ability to perform everyday tasks.
If it makes it unsafe for them to function on their own, it could be the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease.
What to Watch For:
- Struggling to complete daily tasks. They might become unsure about how to start up the shower, use the stove, or tie their shoes.
- Forgetting major moments. While it’s not uncommon for someone to forget what they ate at lunch yesterday with their best friend, forgetting they had lunch with their best friend is a hint that something more serious is going on with their memory. If your loved one is forgetting birthdays, appointments, and taking her medications, she might need help.
- Losing the ability to follow directions. Your loved one might be unable to follow a recipe because she can’t remember what she just did, or she might try to put together a piece of furniture, but keeps losing what step she is on.
- Being challenged by simple problems. If something goes wrong or doesn’t work, has your loved one lost the ability to solve it on her own, or is she so overwhelmed, she becomes stuck?
- Confusing time and places. This gets more noticeable as the disease progresses. Your loved one may forget what season it is and walk outside without a jacket when it’s snowing, or she might think it’s daytime in the middle of the night.
- Struggling with spatial distances. Alzheimer’s can affect how the eyes communicate with the brain, and you might find your loved one is falling more often because she’s unable to see that she’s on the final step, or she might be having more fender-benders because she can’t judge the distance between her car and another object.
Preparing Now for a Future with Alzheimer’s
If you meet with your loved one’s doctor and find she is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease, you will most likely feel overwhelmed by what the future may look like for your loved one and for yourself as you help care for her. Finding a good care management team in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease will be a huge benefit for both you and your loved one.
Care management teams can help you find the care you need and coordinate it. Care management providers have connections to the resources you’ll need and will help make finding the appropriate care for your loved one easier. That way, you can focus on spending time with your loved one and enjoying the good days, while your care management team takes care of the important details.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Care Management in Newington, CT, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Hartford, CT, today. Call (860) 969-3134
At Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Fort Hartford, CT, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Hartford, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Cromwell, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Kensington, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, South Windsor, Wethersfield, Windsor, and surrounding areas in Connecticut.
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