Concerned about your senior loved one living alone? Download our RightConversations guide today for helpful advice.
Medical & Community Partners
A female caregiver talking to an elderly woman in a wheelchair at a flower garden A female caregiver talking to an elderly woman in a wheelchair at a flower garden
Santa Cruz | Services | Specialty Care
|Back to Specialty Care|

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.

Start Care Now

(831) 662-0400
An elderly woman sitting comfortably with a dog on a single sofa chair An elderly woman sitting comfortably with a dog on a single sofa chair

Right at Home’s Dementia and Cognitive Support Program

What if every person with dementia, no matter how advanced their disease, still had the ability to be present and aware of their surroundings? That’s the question that inspired our approach. To us, it’s not unrealistic. In fact, we’ve made it a fundamental goal of our care program. Our method is customized to the unique needs of the person with dementia, and delivered by certified providers. It consists of reinforcing the three key grounding principles:

A line-art drawing of a gear.
Ability
A line-art drawing of a puzzle piece.
Personhood
A line-art drawing of a clock.
Lifestyle
Learn more
Thumbnail featuring the cover of the guide. It includes a silhouette of a person’s head with the brain’s different parts colored in.

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

Alzheimers Resources

 

mb1 mb1

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.
Watch the series

Four Ways We Can Help

A caregiver talks to a patient over tea. A caregiver talks to a patient over tea.
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:

  • 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
A caregiver and her patient standing in front of a cash register in a store. A caregiver and her patient standing in front of a cash register in a store.
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.
A caregiver and her patient discuss medication. A caregiver and her patient discuss medication.
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.
A caregiver and a patient’s family member talk outdoors. A caregiver and a patient’s family member talk outdoors.
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.
Learn more

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.
female caregiver playing chess with senior
female caregiver playing chess with senior

Top 10 Myths About Your Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
smiling senior and younger ladies
smiling senior and younger ladies

Adapting the Home When a Loved One Has Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
senior and caregiver arranging flowers
senior and caregiver arranging flowers

When Your Loved One Receives a Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
A female care worker smiling in the background. In the foreground is an elderly female patient smiling back.
A female care worker smiling in the background. In the foreground is an elderly female patient smiling back.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"We have been exceptionally pleased with the services provided by Right at Home ... They have provided education-based care to a loved one with advancing dementia with dignity and respect."
Client's Family Member

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"I thought the caregivers were of excellent quality. Our case manager was amazing. They worked very hard to cover the necessary shifts and the caregivers were compassionate. They were always on time. They were knowledgeable. They were always responsive and worked to cover our shifts."
Nick D.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"Right at Home has great communication and they are always on time for shifts. They help the client with his daily needs. The caregivers are always willing to jump in and do whatever needs to be done for the client. They take time to make sure the client is comfortable and happy. If the client is happy, I am happy. Right at Home keeps in good communication with me if there is ever a problem. The caregivers are always on time and they do what needs to be done."
Cathy R.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"I selected them because a friend of ours used them and recommended them. I have used them to be a companion and I have them only once a week for 2 hours. I felt confident enough to leave my loved one with someone from Right at Home, and could take a few hours for myself. The caregivers are here for him to talk to him and help him if he needs some help. They are here and he feels that he is not alone and that someone is with him. The office staff has been very helpful. The communication is always very good. He is very satisfied with the people they send."
Klaus B.

Need time for yourself? We’re there for you at any time, anywhere.

Already know which services you need?

Connect with us

Not sure what types of care you need?

Let's find out