How to Choose Elderly Homecare for Alzheimer’s Patients

Fortunately, elderly homecare agencies can ease the stress of Alzheimer’s by personally assisting the person with the illness and relieving family members of the day-to-day burden. However, before choosing an elderly homecare agency, you need to make sure they have experience caring for people with Alzheimer’s. A professional agency will work closely with you to evaluate the specific needs of your loved one. This includes determining whether the person with Alzheimer’s needs elderly homecare for:

* Personal care (bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, cooking, eating)

* Household care (cleaning, laundry, errands)

* Medical (medication compliance, carrying out doctor’s orders)

* Companionship (social outings)

The elderly homecare agency

will also ensure that the home is safe, especially if he or she is ever home alone. This includes inspecting the home to make it accident proof from falls, wandering, and other dangerous situations. They may make minor but important safety modification around the house, such as:

* Installing locks so the person with Alzheimer’s disease cannot wander out and get lost

* Hide or remove sharp objects that could injure them

* Labeling and locking away all medicines

* Labeling drawers and doors

* Using reminders like notes or timers

As you begin to interview prospective elderly

homecare agencies to care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s, prepare a list of questions to assess their experience. Remember to be prepared with a list of his needs, as well as an expectation of the type and frequency of care. Here are a few questions to ask:

* Is the elderly homecare agency licensed and accredited?

* Are employees bonded and insured?

* Does the agency conduct thorough background checks?

* Does it have staff specially trained to work with people who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?

* Will the same caregiver provide care on a regular basis? If not, what is the substitution policy?

* Does it have a list of references?

* Are there a minimum number of hours or days per week to provide care?

There are obviously many more questions to ask to ensure they are the best fit for your loved one. Take the time to sit down with other family members and create a comprehensive list before you meet with them. There are excellent elderly homecare agencies in Los Angeles County that can provide the highest quality of care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.