To help answer some questions about dimensions progression, Tim Tholen founder and CEO of Thoughtful Healthcare goes over important issues to be aware of in this podcast.
Show Notes
Can you possibly prepare for the progression of dementia? You know dementia often means that those who are diagnosed gradually lose the ability to manage their day to day lives. So two questions come to mind. How can caregivers and family members help a loved one with dementia feel taken care of? And how does one take control of a potentially chaotic situation? So in this presentation we'll look at how to address life's details that need to be brought into order so that your family understands what should be handled. And when it should be handled.
Today's modern life is so full of complexity and how can you possibly assess it. Well spend a few minutes thinking about your own life and what it looks like. Think of all the passwords to all of your accounts. Think of your cars, the home, and all of the possessions that are in it. Now consider your daily routines. Your life, your work, your hobbies, your children, community involvement, and so on. And now think about how a person with dementia can get so overwhelmed by what were once familiar details. So the complexity of life is undeniable. And one way that you as caregivers can bring order is to create routines. With a diagnosis of dementia the person will need to orient themselves more often and having that consistent daily routine is both grounding and mentally healthy.
So let's simplify some things. Consider the fact that if your loved one is of a certain age he or she may not be as comfortable with computers and smartphones as we are. So you may have to take control of some aspects of their life that will require a move to the digital age just to help simplify things. And the more you simplify things like bank accounts and bill pay and appoint reminders the better. And your loved one with dementia will worry much much less when you can honestly say Don't worry Dad is taking care of.
So first begin by assessing the existing daily and weekly routines. What happens when. And write it down. You could try setting up a weekly family calendar to put appointments on, as well as caregiving schedules. They'd be in the same place. Here's where you can use technology to your advantage because a shared online calendar lets everyone in your caregiving circle know what is happening when.
So let's address and deal with financial matters next because clarity in financial matters is crucial. Now hopefully you and your family members have already communicated with your loved one about what his or her wishes really are. And if not do it as soon as possible because you need to understand the total financial picture. Communicate with your loved ones regarding their financial holdings their assets their debts and their equities. Roundup all of their passwords to all of their financial websites and put them in a safe place. Maybe most important is put alerts on their credit cards to track overspending because you don't want them to make impulse decisions.
Thoughtful Healthcare offers 24 hour in-home care tailored to your loved one's needs. We've been serving Kansas City and the surrounding area since 1999. Now back to the podcast.
Knowing the financial story of your loved one's life is very very important, but it's also vital to put legal frameworks and protections in place. So establish powers of attorney both medical and legal. Now this is very important when dealing with dementia because you're going to need to make decisions for them at some point in the future. So designate a family member who is reachable, capable, and preferably experienced in the matters of medical. And legal decision making. And this does not have to be the same person. Let's move on to estate planning. An estate plan will clarify your loved one's wishes and desires in a very real way. And it will also help keep your family out of probate court and it will prevent family discord. Now if your loved one doesn't have an estate plan in place please contact an attorney and establish one. And make sure that everybody in the family knows about the plan but assign one or two people to take charge in creating and administering that plan.
Now let's switch gears here and talk about the health of your loved one. You know people with dementia are at risk of becoming malnourished because they can forget to eat or simply lose the desire to eat. So the weekly family schedule we talked about earlier should be specific enough to include meal planning with food delivery if needed. Make sure you're keeping an eye on personal and home hygiene. You know that lack of cleanliness is one of the clearest signs that your family member needs additional care? Part of the routine that you established needs to be that your loved one is getting fresh air and exercise, because this will increase quality of life and help control some of the outbursts and behaviors. Now we can create a care plan book. One of the services Thoughtfulcare provides to create that care plan book and we'll address this in detail in a subsequent video. But what we've found is that families who establish the care plan book on their own before they engage us have an easier transition into professional care. A care plan book simply consolidates all relevant information of caregiving into one book. It's pretty much the kitchen sink of planning, but it's nicely organized. It should include doctor specifics, names of attorneys, emergency points of contact, list of medications, your behavior logs, and your weekly schedule. There should also be a note section where your cast of caregivers can leave notes as to what they saw and did during their time.
So can you control the inevitable. No. Dementia is a prognosis without a cure, and its advancement is unpredictable. But what you can do to help manage the progression is prepare for those eventualities. So size up their financials, create or update their estate plan, establish routines, monitor the eating and the hygiene, and put it all in a care plan book. These are all practical steps you can take to bring order and peace to your family which has been touched by the diagnosis of dementia. Thank you. For more information about thoughtful health care and its services. Visit our website at www.thoughtfulhealthcare.com.
What is Alzheimer's and Dementia Care?
Tim Tholen, CEO of Thoughtful Health Care, discusses valuable strategies, tips, and information used every day in the care of Alzheimer and dementia patients at home.
Thoughtful Healthcare is committed to providing your loved ones with the very best in personable, caring and friendly at home care. By providing compassionate and professional caregivers a higher quality of life for loved ones under our watch is achieved through advocacy, integrity, continuous improvement and, above all else, honesty.
Enhancing Lives - Extraordinary Care
Contact us for a free in-home assessment by visiting www.ThoughtfulHealthcare.com