Alzheimer’s Care from Helping Hands
There are many different types of Dementia, however Alzheimer’s is the most common form. It affects more than half a million people in the UK alone. Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition, with time leaving people affected by it needing support. At Helping Hands’, we believe there are many benefits to allowing someone with Alzheimer’s to remain in their own home. That’s why we offer person-centred Alzheimer’s care at home.
Our trained Alzheimer’s carers move into the homes of their customers to provide medical support and personal care that’s specially tailored to the needs of the individual.
Alzheimer’s Care at Home
People affected by Alzheimer’s experience a range of symptoms. These symptoms include a decline in memory, disorientation and confusion surrounding places and times, difficulty in completing tasks and changes in behaviour. Therefore, an Alzheimer’s care plan tailored to the individual is a necessity. We work with individuals, their families, their GPs and professionals from other healthcare organisations to deliver a package of Alzheimer’s support that meets the needs of the person.
Through our Alzheimer’s care, we provide support tailored to help people with many of the typical symptoms experienced by someone with the condition. These include:
Decline in Memory: Our Alzheimer’s support workers work with their customers to create memory boxes and scrapbooks, featuring photographs and other sentimental tokens to help stimulate memories. You and your loved one can also rest assured that they’re always around to reassure, prompt and assist – for example, reminding them to feed the dog, put the washing machine on or take their medication.
Confusion with Time and Place: People affected by Alzheimer’s often find themselves unsure about time, place, where they should be or what they need to do. We can provide help with calendar management, assist them get to where they need to go and reassure any fears they might be feeling.
Help around the Home: Although our Alzheimer’s support services are primarily focussed around the medical needs of our customers, our carers are also on hand to provide help round the home. They can help people with basic tasks they might struggle with – from making a sandwich or vacuuming to filling out prescriptions or putting the dustbin out. However, they never look to exclude the people they care for from getting involved in these tasks.
Social Interaction: A Helping Hands’ Alzheimer’s carer is warm, friendly and full of enthusiasm. They want to make a positive difference to the lives of their customers. As well as always being around for a chat over a cup of tea, our carers will also provide support with social activities when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s through gentle encouragement.
Changes in Behaviour: With time, the condition impacts the functions carried out by the brain resulting in behavioural changes. Our one-to-one Alzheimer’s support enables both carer and customer to develop a relationship, meaning there’s never any display of shock or anger at sudden changes in behaviour. Trained and experienced, they understand and will provide the level of assistance required.
The importance of Alzheimer’s support in the Home
Consistency is a massive part of any type of care, but especially when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. Moving an individual affected by this illness into an environment they’re unfamiliar with, such as a residential care home, can have a negative impact. It can cause distress, confusion and discomfort.
With Alzheimer’s home care, an individual can get the medical support they need in the place they know and love best – their own home. Homes aren’t just buildings – they hold lots memories, items with lots of sentimental value and photographs. They can also be around the ones they love more frequently. And all of this can help to stimulate the memory.
When they deliver care for Alzheimer’s patients, our carers always look to maintain existing routines and lifestyles, so you or your loved one never have to worry about adapting to major change.
Our Alzheimer’s Support Workers
Before going into the homes of their customers, our Alzheimer’s support workers go through intensive training at our Centre of Excellence, based in Alcester. Here, they learn about the complexities of the illness and its symptoms. This process gives them the preparation they need to deal with the challenges they’ll face when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s on a daily basis.
We ensure that consistency is at the core of our Alzheimer’s care plans. Our Alzheimer’s carers usually work in blocks of six to eight weeks before taking a respite break. This allows them to build up a strong bond with the person they’re caring for. We’ll then provide a temporary carer to go into the home to take over for a short period of time, enabling the person receiving care to develop relationships with others.
If yours or your loved one’s carer happens to fall ill or have a family emergency, we’ll always ensure that a replacement carer is there and ready to deliver support – at short notice.
Find out More About Alzheimer’s Help from Helping Hands
Making a decision on whether or not to take on Alzheimer’s care for you or a loved one is one of the toughest decisions you’re likely to face in life. But you’re never alone. Our team of Alzheimer’s support advisors are there to talk you through the steps involved in our care services. They’re more than happy to answer any questions or queries you might have too.