You’re not a superhero. When it comes to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, there comes a time when around-the-clock supervision is required. You may feel like you’re letting your mom down, but there does come a point where you have to have help.
Risks of not having enough help are plentiful. Your mom could wander away. She could start to cook a meal and forget it leading to a kitchen fire. She might grab the keys and try to drive to the store. The list of things that people with Alzheimer’s want to do that just are no longer safe can be incredibly long. It’s exhausting when you’re constantly trying to stop her, so what are your options?
Get Others in the Family Involved
If you have siblings, cousins, or other relatives who are close to your mom, sit down and ask who can help out. If everyone works together, you might be able to cover an entire 24-hour in shifts. You do need to consider emergency situations like illness or a car that won’t start. Make sure your plan includes a back-up for unexpected situations.
Look Into Home Technology to Keep Your Mom Safe
It’s 2 a.m. Your mom has been up since 9 a.m., and she’s still going strong. You’re exhausted and need to go to bed. She keeps wanting to go outside to look at the full moon. She wants another cup of coffee. She’s not ready to stop watching TV. That’s just one scenario family caregivers face when a parent has Alzheimer’s.
If your mom simply will not go to bed and you need to, home security can help. You need to invest in technology that makes it hard for your mom to go outside or do anything inside that could cause problems.
Start with alarms on doors and windows that wake up you up if your mom tries to get a window or door open. Pair these alarms with deadbolts that use a keypad to open and shut the door’s deadbolt latch. Look into windows that have stoppers that only allow the windows to be open a few inches.
Video cameras that monitor her in the living room and her bedroom door help you track where she is from your phone or tablet. You can check from the comfort of your bed and know if you need to get up because she’s agitated or if she’ll be okay while you catch another hour or two of sleep.
Incorporate Caregivers Into the Monthly Care Schedule
Talk to a home care agency about professional caregivers. You don’t have to hire them on a full-time basis, but caregivers are a beneficial way for you to get a break and your mom to have someone with her.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Caregivers in St. Petersburg, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
