Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Cognitive Change
No matter the cause, conditions that result in a change of mood, memory or the thinking process are especially tough. When these are associated with aging, we often call them “Alzheimer’s,” but in reality, Alzheimer’s is just one of many different disorders of the brain.
Caring for a family member or friend with cognitive difficulties is demanding. If you’re doing it by yourself, it’s even tougher. At times, it can feel like you’re battling both the disease and the person. They need a sense of normalcy, but they don’t always act like they want it. Even when you’re doing everything right, it can feel like you’re doing everything wrong. It drains you emotionally and physically.
We believe that it doesn’t have to. Our approach is about helping you reclaim precious moments with your loved one, so instead of worrying about their bad days, you can celebrate their good days. Most of all, we want to be there for both of you so you don't have to do it alone.
Right at Home offers a customized care plan with a combination of personal care, companionship and homemaking, and just as importantly, we can provide respite care for you and your other loved ones.
Feeling Lost?
Let Us Help You Care for Those With Dementia
It can be especially hard to help someone with dementia like Alzheimer’s when the condition is so difficult to understand. In this guide, we’ll give you the basics of what causes dementia, along with some strategies for care.
Learn more
Need time for yourself? We’re there for you at any time, anywhere.
Right at Home’s Dementia Guide Video Series
In this collection, gerontologist Diane Darby Beach, Ph.D., will take you through some of the most important details of how cognitive change can progress, so you can be more prepared for whatever the future brings.
Download The Guide
Four Ways We Can Help
1. Building Normalcy
Reducing stress for someone with Alzheimer’s means being
consistent. We can help you and your friend or family member create and stick to
a routine, and we can do it in a way that meets their particular needs.
This includes:
This includes:
- Making sure the home feels familiar to them
- Giving them the freedom to move about unrestricted in the home
- Minimizing stresses that can aggravate the symptoms of cognitive change
- Keeping them oriented with daily reminders of time, place and person
2. A Helping Hand
Along with a specialized cognitive care plan, Right at Home caregivers also provide general companionship to your loved one, including helping with daily tasks and protecting them from isolation or loneliness.
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3. Keeping Them on Track
People with dementia may have specific, strict medication regimens. In some cases, this could require the services of a skilled nurse. Fortunately, in some states, many of our caregivers are also trained nurses, so you can rest assured the person’s needs will be met.
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4. Giving You a Break
Since you carry a heavy burden as a caregiver of a person with dementia, it’s important to have a break. We can help with that, too, giving you much-needed rest and time off so you can focus on your own needs.
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The Latest Thinking in Cognitive and Dementia Care
Research into the care and treatment of dementia like Alzheimer’s is constantly growing. Here are some of the latest ideas that have guided our training and care programs.
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"This company's philosophy of employing people who truly care about their clients was very evident to our family when our parents needed help recently. Everyone - from management on down- was genuinely interested in our parents and their needs. Compassionate and caring, they treated our parents like their own. I am particularly grateful for one of the aides, Mistry, who discovered my father's extremely low blood pressure. This discovery landed him in the ICU for several days. Time was of the essence and we believe the time and care she took resulted in a life saved. RAH was a blessing to us. I HIGHLY recommend them!"
Elaine
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Right at Home is excellent service and help. Thank you for taking the time to get us the help I needed. Val was super. She was like a second daughter. I loved her company and the help she does for me and my pets."
Gail
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"As the person who spends 5 twenty four hour days with my Father in-law Fred Modrak I wanted you to know how much the family appreciates RAH staff member Charlie Kline. Each day she brings energy, enthusiasm, and a bright encouraging outlook to her patient Fred. She is very thorough, detail oriented, and dedicated to the tasks at hand. She creates an environment that Fred responds to very well. Charlie is confident in what she is doing, very safety minded, and provides a wealth of knowledge to all us. We greatly appreciate Charlie's professionalism and her willingness to help all of us with the process of caring for Fred.
Charlie is an outstanding representative of RAH. I just wanted you to know. They say that success is in the people who work for you - I hope you have a hundred Charlies."
George
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Excellent caring professional company! High quality people and staff. Very reliable and punctual. Thank you for helping us"
James
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Just a note of thanks for all the care provided to our father, Jim S., over the past year. Ever since he lost his mobility, we were in a quandary as to whether we would be able to provide the care for him necessary to maintain the quality of life that we all so desired. The supplemental assistance provided by Right at Home enabled us to keep Jim in our home without compromising the care that was needed.
The care provided by your staff was exemplary. Jim looked forward daily to the conversation and the great company that was provided by Rennie, Emily, Michael and Tanya. They all exhibited great teamwork and as caregivers, provided Dad with the loving care and assurance that his needs were always satisfied. Dad, as well as your staff, will always be remembered in our hearts and prayers.
Please do not hesitate to use our name as a reference for any prospective clients. I am recently retired from the healthcare industry and can attest to the competency of your staff and would highly recommend your services without any hesitation
Charlie is an outstanding representative of RAH. I just wanted you to know. They say that success is in the people who work for you - I hope you have a hundred Charlies."
Jerry and Linda
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Jenny is wonderful for my 94 yr old mother. Jenny is cheerful, kind, efficient, concerned, and encourages my mother to join in daily activity. Jenny communicates with me making good suggestions for improvement (shower chair). I believe Jenny has enhanced my mother's health, safety, and happiness. Thank you for this peace of mind - I live 500+ miles away."
Mary Lee
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"It is my pleasure to write to you about Diane, our home health aide. As the wife of her client, I am so relieved to know that my husband is in her kind hands when I leave for work. Diane is just the right amount of 'doing' without taking over our home. She lets Mike 'lead' what he wants/needs to do on each of her visits and helps him wholeheartedly. Diane is thoughtful as she carefully watches over Mike. She encourages him while he completes his assigned exercises."
Mike
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Excellent care and service for my father. The staff was courteous and professional! We highly recommend them. Thank you!"
Sue
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Great people, great service. My mom was a difficult case and they stuck with her."
Vicky
Spoken from the mouths of those we care for.
"Very great service and help for me. I thank my girls for the care and being kind to an old man. Very helpful and professional to work with. On time and reliable to be here for me. Very hard workers and they do cooking too."
William