As your loved one’s disease progresses, Alzheimer’s home care becomes increasingly important in managing their daily activities. You’ll need to assist with tasks such as when they should take medication, where they can go, how to dress, and what to eat for each meal.
While they may require help in many areas, allowing them to maintain some independence and make a few decisions for themselves can greatly improve their satisfaction with daily living activities.
Why Choices Matter
Choices have shaped your loved one’s life – from where to live and who to marry (or not marry) to career paths and favorite activities. Even daily decisions, such as what to have for breakfast, what to wear, or which TV show to watch, have been an essential part of their identity.
Alzheimer’s disease can gradually take away these aspects of a person by erasing memories, slowing cognitive abilities, and impairing decision-making. However, even with these challenges, allowing your loved one to make small daily choices can help preserve their self-esteem and sense of self. It gives them a sense of control over their life, even as much of it feels out of their hands.
Alzheimer’s home care professionals often emphasize the importance of empowering individuals with small decisions to maintain independence and dignity in their day-to-day lives.
Which Types of Choices are Best
As Alzheimer’s progresses, you may need to adjust when your loved one can make decisions independently and when they cannot. For instance, they might no longer be able to choose to drive to the park, but they can still decide which hat to wear.
In Alzheimer’s home care, it’s essential to ensure that the choices available to your loved one are both safe and within their ability to understand. Let’s explore some options that may work best for their care and well-being.
- Food Options: When possible, let your loved one choose some parts of his meal or a snack.
- Clothing Options: Getting to choose what shirt to wear or shoes to wear can help your loved one keep his sense of style.
- Activity Options: If it’s time for some movement activity, provide a couple of options, such as dancing, walking, or cleaning the house.
It’s important not to overwhelm your loved one with too many options, it’s usually best for him to only have two or three choices of a particular option. Too many options can be overwhelming. It can also be helpful for your loved one to see what his options are. Instead of asking “Do you want to wear your Nike t-shirt or your Red Sox t-shirt?” hold both out to him to show him.
Your loved one can also exercise his right to choose when he has a visitor, such as an Alzheimer’s home care provider. Your Alzheimer’s home care provider can ask him what he wants to do today by offering him a couple of choices, such as an art project or a physical activity.
Once he chooses one, your Alzheimer’s home care provider can then offer smaller choices within those choices, such as “should we paint or color?” or “should we dance or go for a walk.”
When possible, choices can help your loved one feel more like himself.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Winter Haven, FL, please contact the caring staff at Family First Healthcare Services today at (813) 461-8000.
Family First Healthcare Services is a top provider of in-home health services in Tampa, Bradenton, Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Town ‘n’ Country, Florida, and surrounding areas.
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