(FinancialHealth.net) – Traveling, vacationing, gardening and golf! These may be some of your favorite things to do now that you’re retired. However, they might take a backseat if your spouse’s health issues are a concern. Facing a dementia diagnosis can leave you, as the spouse, wondering how to cope.
From adult daycare, home health services or even a skilled nursing facility, there are places you can turn to for help.
Adult Daycare
To be the best caregiver you can to a loved one with dementia, you need to take care of your own health as well. One option that can provide you with some much-needed time to yourself, is adult daycare or respite care.
These programs offer daytime care for your loved one so you can run errands, clean house, go to appointments or just take a break. Most communities offer adult daycare services where you can drop off your loved one for an hour or several hours a day. They have staff trained to deal with special needs adults and those with medical concerns such as dementia.
In-home respite services are also available if your loved one cannot leave the house. There are contractors who will come to your house and provide necessary care while you take care of your own needs.
Home Health Care
As any type of mental impairment can worsen over time, your entire lifestyle is bound to change. Things that your loved one used to do easily such as bathing, eating and routine personal care can be affected. Why not consider home health care?
Home health services include assistance with ADLs (Activities for daily living) and helping out with bathing and meal preparation. The duties of the home care staff include things like light housekeeping and running errands. Choose an agency that is multifaceted and offers a variety of nursing services, including:
- Assessing vitals
- Medication education and set-up
- Catheter care
- Wound and ostomy care
The goal is to provide comfort to the patient and assist the caregiver with patient-related tasks.
Skilled Nursing Facility
When Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, reaches its end-stage, it can be hard to meet the daily requirements needed for proper care of a loved one. One choice available to you is a skilled nursing facility. They offer around-the-clock full-service health care. Before this time comes, have a place picked out so you don’t have to make a hasty decision. This is why it’s important to meet with a few facilities and your loved one’s family doctor to discuss the pros and cons before it becomes a necessity.
Tap Into the Right Resources
Don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor or request a social worker visit if you have any concerns or questions. Study and learn about the stages of dementia and how to respond properly. Connect with local support groups for dementia and Alzheimer’s caregivers so you can get the help you need. Sometimes it just helps knowing there are others experiencing the same issues.
A dementia diagnosis can bring a lot of uncertainty about the future with it.
Keeping yourself and your spouse safe and thriving is important! Knowing your options can help guide you to the right resources to assist both you and your spouse through this journey.
~Here’s to Your Financial Health!
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