As your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease ages, his/her caregiving needs also evolve-sometimes at a steady pace and other times unexpected changes happen rapidly. The key to coping with it all effectively is to have a solid plan in place to cover all o the stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
A good plan of care for caregivers includes a weekly/daily schedule of care services as well as a long term action plan (including resources) to cover both current and future needs of your loved one with AD. This includes unforeseen events such as accidents and sudden illnesses as well as a plan for care at all stages of Alzheimer’s disease the plan should include resources
Start with sitting down with your loved one and all other family members involved to discuss a long and short term proposal. Include your love one with AD as early on as possible. Most families report that when symptoms of AD took a turn for the worse and their loved one needed a more structured living environment, they were happy the plan was made early on and that they knew he/she was in agreement with modifications in the living environment.
The first step in doing the actual planning is to assess the current situation (needs and goals) and then address the following categories;
1.The living environment-is it safe
2.Need for supervision-how many hours per day/days per week
3.Specific activities of daily-list need for help with cooking, dressing, etc.
4.Medical needs-physician appointments, daily medications etc.
5.Financial situation-are the bills being paid in a timely manner etc.
6.Legal matters-need for a power of attorney
Using the assessment questions above, start to put together a schedule of daily, weekly and monthly activities you will need to do to fill the needs of your loved one. Consider priority on the most vital care needed- such as safety needs and help with medications. If your loved one is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and you have not identified any needs yet, the goal should be to re-assess on a regular basis.
Learn more about topics for those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and caregivers by CLICKING HERE to join our 25 lesson course at AlzU.org today.
