Concerned about your senior loved one living alone? Download our RightConversations guide today for helpful advice.
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

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.

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.
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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.
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.
Learn more
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.
Learn more
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.
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Walpole Memory Cafe

1st Tuesday of the month from 1p-2:30p

three women talking at a table 

Join Sandy Pellegrine, LPN, Certified Dementia Practitioner, as Right at Home of Southwest Boston teams up with the Walpole Council on Aging to present the Walpole Memory Café. The Walpole Memory Café welcomes those living with memory changes and their care partners. Monthly activities will vary and there will be refreshments and conversation with others facing similar challenges. This will take place in a safe and supportive environment.

A care partner must accompany anyone who needs assistance. There is no cost to attend, but an RSVP is required. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Sandy Pellegrine at 508.668.8001 or SPellegrine@rahbsw.com.

Dementia Live Provider

DementiaLiveTM

DementiaLiveTM is a sensitivity awareness training program provided through the Age-u-cate Institute. Participants can experience what it is be like to live with dementia and cognitive impairment, building awareness of the condition’s symptoms and gaining an in-depth understanding of the neurodegenerative disease.

The training helps participants to improve communication and decrease misunderstanding with patients and their families. It also advocates for person-centered care. Right at Home Norfolk, Bristol and Lower Suffolk County introduced the training to Foxboro in 2016.

Two CEU credits for this program will be provided by Right at Home Norfolk, Bristol and Lower Suffolk County.

Contact us to receive the training

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

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smiling senior and younger ladies
smiling senior and younger ladies

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

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senior and caregiver arranging flowers
senior and caregiver arranging flowers

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

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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

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"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."
Michelle

Hear What Others Are Saying

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"The agency has been great for my Mom; very responsive."
Cindy W.

Hear What Others Are Saying

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"Kay has been very helpful to my mom who lives with us. By providing light housework help and good company. She has brightened my mother's outlook, occasional nursing visits and the coordination from the office have also been positive."
Gene C.

Hear What Others Are Saying

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"These caregivers make it possible for my husband and I to stay in our home. I'm so thankful for Right at Home and their caregivers."
Norma

Hear What Others Are Saying

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"The caregivers are so nice ... They just help us with anything we need. The office staff is also great. I appreciate that they always return phone calls timely."
Donna

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