What can you do to ensure that an older person keeps up with her daily grooming habits? Those with dementia often forget to attend to personal hygiene, which includes changing their clothes, says Kayla Cook, owner of Caring Excellence. The sense of smell diminishes with age so your loved one may not notice odor from her clothes. Kayla suggests establishing a routine where the clothes are laid out as a reminder and are changed at the same time each day. If your loved one needs help keeping her clothes fresh, assist her with laundry and clothes preparation.
Don’t Live Dangerously
Slips, trips, and falls can happen any time, so here are tips to keep loved ones safe. Caring Excellence Personalized Home Care Services provides complimentary in-home assessment by a registered nurse or social worker to evaluate the safety of a home along with the client’s physical needs. “We suggest moving cords attached to electronics or lamps to prevent tripping, wearing non-slip shoes and slippers, and relocating bedrooms to a lower floor to avoid falling down stairs,” says Kayla Cook, owner of Caring Excellence.
Lucy Martin, a horticultural therapist who works with seniors, says, “Removing area rugs and other transitions is a way to help with safety issues. “Providing good lighting and night lights help with navigating through the house, and providing grab bars and a place to sit in the shower can prevent accidents.”
Three Tips for Keeping Someone Organized
It would be ideal if we could check in on our parents or friends daily to make sure that there’s a place for everything and everything has its place, but that isn’t always feasible due to our own busy agendas. Yet with a little forethought we can help them keep on schedule plus maintain a neat and tidy home.
*Calendars: Purchase a large calendar for them to write on. Include the type of appointment and time it will occur, and the doctor’s name. This gives your loved one the opportunity to feel in control of his schedule.
*Labels: Put labels on cabinets, drawers, cupboards, closets, and pantry shelves. Keep the labels simple, such as “canned vegetables,” “forks and spoons,” or “pants and tops.”
*Medication: If using a regular medical organizer doesn’t work for your loved one, then invest in an electronic medication dispenser to easily keep track of dosage and the time it needs to be taken.
— Sheila Carter, RN, MSN, president, Heartsong Memory Care
If you are tending to your husband or wife, try to attend a support group designed especially for spouse caregivers. Many of the issues relating to spousal care are different than those when caring for a parent or sibling. Other spouses can empathize with what you’re going through and offer their perspective. The Alzheimer’s Association is a good place to start in order to find the right group for you.
— Sheila Carter, RN, MSN, president, Heartsong Memory Care
Strengthen the Bond
If you’re concerned about the well-being of a loved one, stay on top of her daily activities and be involved in her life as much as possible. This will make you more aware of what is going on, plus it will make her feel more secure.
— Lucy Martin, horticultural therapist
BY JULIE ENGELHARDT
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