In-home Memory Care

As people age, a decline in their cognitive abilities is often evident. Alzheimer’s and dementia are two such conditions associated with aging.

Today, several specialized care options are available for these conditions when you wish to help your loved one age at home.

In-home memory care is an option that allows seniors to stay in the comfort of their own homes and have the safety, assistance, and supervision they may need.

While caring for seniors, you are likely to hear about Alzheimer’s and dementia a lot. These terms are often used synonymously and are associated with cognitive degeneration like memory issues. They have many symptoms in common. In fact, one may cause the other. Dementia is basically a broader term, and Alzheimer’s is a disease that can cause it.

As these are both interrelated and relative, you can arrange a common setup of management for them. In-home care is one such setup, details of which you’ll find in this article. So you can consider it for your elderly loved one in the time of need.

In-home memory care is the trending way to look after the needs of elderly loved ones who are suffering from dementia and doing so within the comfort of their own homes. It includes providing services ranging from simple personal care to skilled medical care and even companionship.

It is appropriate for people who want to age in place but require care most of the time. Providing such care can be hard on the family.

In-home Alzheimer’s care and dementia care have the same concept, and these in-home memory caregivers provide services related to these conditions.

In-home memory care does not consist of one simple set of tasks. In fact, it comprises multiple services to assist a person according to their needs.

Here are some services a memory care provider might perform:

These services include help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, exercising, or any other personal care.

These services include help with supervision in any simple task or recreational activities. It might include visiting and spending time with the individual to ensure the person is safe and supported.

Such services comprise helping the person with housekeeping chores, shopping, errands, or meal preparation.

It is to help the person with wound care, injections, physical therapy, and other medical needs by a licensed health professional. Often, a home health care agency coordinates these types of skilled care on the recommendation of a physician.

In-home care for seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia includes a mixture of medical and non-medical services. These are:

As dementia and Alzheimer’s are neurocognitive disorders and progress over time, there will come a time when you will need assistance in caring for your senior loved one.

An alternative to in-home care is assisted living, which is also commonly known as facility care.

The fundamental difference between the two approaches is:

Keeping in view these pros and cons of both care systems, you can choose which one fits with your and your elderly loved one’s needs.

To find the right in-home care services you can utilize the following resources:

The physician treating the person with Alzheimer’s could recommend home health service providers who have expertise in caring for people with dementia.

Searching for Medicare-certified Home Health agencies in your area can be helpful in the long run. You can do so through Medicare’s online tool  Home Health Compare .

Search for home care services near you by using the online  Community Resource Finder .

The Alzheimer’s Association chapter is another great way of finding referrals. You can find your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter here .

You can search for services by zip code, city, or state by calling 800.677.1116 or using the  Eldercare Locator Online Tool .

It is always helpful to get a first-hand opinion from someone who has used in-home care services. So don’t hesitate to consult people around you.

Following are some steps that can be helpful in finding the right service:

Costs of in-home care services vary depending on many factors like:

Medicare covers certain in-home health care services when the person needing the care meets the eligibility criteria (which includes being homebound and requiring the services of a skilled professional), and if they consider the services necessary for treatment.

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