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Meryl Comer’s account as the caregiver for her husband who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease was published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal (2006). Many of her experiences of taking care of her husband were dangerous and include a time when she was giving him a bath and he attacked her, knocking out two of her front teeth. Before the debilitating disease, he was a prominent figure in the National Institute of Health as the Chief of Oncology and Hematology. The article Comer wrote was supposed to be a tool for her to attract insight from others of how to make her job easier. But before it could become helpful, her mother’s health would also decline and need her care as well. Comer’s descriptions of the care she provided for her husband and mother will explain the obstacles and struggles of caring for people with dementia. A fast answer to make things better didn’t seem possible without a breakthrough in medical research. Alzheimer’s disease is expected to double in America by 2040 and then triple by 2050! The disease is already costing America $215 billion a year. Unpaid family care is not included in that cost. As the time ticks away and clinical trials were not producing anything significant, the Alzheimer’s Association released a report stating that 1 of 3 adults in the US die with Alzheimers disease or another form of dementia. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has Alzheimer’s listed as the sixth leading cause of death. Death is more likely with any type of dementia as patients fail to take their prescriptions regularly and are unable to describe their ailments. Because of the special obstacles that come with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, caregivers find these patients truly challenging. In some ways, a person with dementia requires even more care or risks wandering and getting lost. Family members find themselves in painful frustration wanting to provide the best care possible for their loved one but not having the time to do it. However, there is a different type of answer that doesn’t require a cure for now: home healthcare agencies. These entities locate proper caregivers with the right backgrounds and match them to families that need someone skilled to care for their loved ones. Home healthcare agencies work with the caregivers to prevent burnout as well as other factors that could keep a caregiver from leaving the family back to their original problems. Top home health agencies that have established themselves for years often do so with well-prepared case managers and solid care plans. What services do home care agencies offer? In-home caregivers can assist with dressing, meal preparation, transferring, companionship, etc. Nurses are also provided to assist in case an Alzheimer’s patient needs injections. Home health agencies provide information to help families modify their homes and make it accident-proof for their loved ones. Are there places you can point out that may be stumbling hazards? Are items like keys and knives hidden away? It’s a good idea to control the water heater so that it never becomes too hot for your loved one. Especially important in home care services is the companionship a caregiver provides. Many people in the field of care have nurturing, caring personalities that help make a difference in a senior’s life by visiting to talk or reading a book aloud. Caregivers must remember to take care of themselves, too. Caregivers face physically and psychologically strenuous challenges when working with seniors with Alzheimer’s but really good home health care agencies make sure to remind them to stay rested and to call on them when needed. States such as South Florida offer free caregiver support from Alzheimer’s groups. When a caregiver needs respite care, home health agencies can provide trained and experienced replacements for the time being. In all, a home care agencies role in Alzheimer’s care plays a huge difference for your loved one and the caregiver.
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