Providing Holistic Care for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
When caring for patients with Alzheimer’s and other stages of dementias, a compassionate care approach can make all the difference. Here at Orchard Living View, our mission is to provide care for dementia patients through rewarding experiences which fuel their minds and help them connect with the world around them. We work hard to help our patients become increasingly active and alert while stimulating their minds, verbal ability, and alertness levels.
As patients progress through the 3 different stages of dementia, our Caregivers use a holistic model to provide care through each stage of Dementia.
By combining high levels of experience with dependable patient care, we can effectively assist our patients and help them maintain their independence.
How We Care for Patients with
Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
Helping Prevent Dangerous Behaviors
By keeping a watchful eye on dementia patients always, our caregiving team can help reduce the risk of wandering and falling. Wandering and falling are common occurrences for people with dementia and caregivers can be a great help in preventing these actions from happening. Our team stays alert to entry points and are quick to identify hazards that patients could hit or trip on. By integrating these preventative measures, we can help reduce the risk of falling and ensure a patient’s whereabouts are always accounted for.
Engaging Patients with Stimulating Activities
Here at Orchard Living View, we encourage our dementia patients to engage in energizing activities that help lift their spirits and spark happy memories. Our patients immerse themselves in creative fields such as art and music which help stimulate their brains and brighten their days.
Did you know that playing someone’s favorite song can help stimulate memory? Painting and art can help patients connect to their inner imagination and find a healthy way to express themselves. These meaningful activities can be a great way to help patients come alive, engage in everyday life, and remember happy times in their lives.
Keeping Patients Active and Mobile
Instead of sitting for hours on end, our patients are always encouraged to stay active and, on the move, as they are able. Simple activities like walking, stretching, and climbing stairs can play an important role in helping people stay healthy. Our Caregivers work closely with each patient to follow an exercise plan based on their doctor’s advice and recommendations.
Properly Managing Patient Medications
People with dementia often need help taking and managing their medicines. We understand how confusing it can be for loved ones to properly understand the need, effects, and concerns behind each medication. Thankfully, our caregivers are highly experienced in these areas and can ensure patients take their medication safely and correctly.
Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits
Here at Orchard Living View, we use nutrition as a tool to improve the health of our patients. Diseases like dementia can be fought by eating the right foods and following a healthy diet that nourishes the brain. Our Caregivers support patient health by shopping, cooking, and serving nutritious foods to our patients.
Providing Calming Personal Care and Improving Hygiene
We understand how important it is for dementia patients to feel like they can still do certain things for themselves at Orchard Living View. Unfortunately, patients can often forget about hygiene-related tasks or simply find them too difficult to carry out on their own. Our caregiving team has years of experience in providing personal care support while also helping patients maintain their sense of independence.
Transportation
Our caregiving team has years of experience in safely driving dementia patients to their destinations. Unfortunately, it gets increasingly difficult for dementia patients to drive themselves as time goes on. Eventually, these individuals can no longer drive a car safely and need support in getting around. The caregiving team at Orchard Living View has great expertise in transporting dementia patients and works hard to ensure each of our patients has the best possible transport for their individual needs.
Information on Dementia
Dementia ranges in severity and progresses in different stages. There are three general stages of Dementia: Early, Middle, and Late. These 3 stages of Dementia can take years to advance from one to the next depending on the patient, but each stage progresses in severity and requires more and more help from a Caregiver.
During the Early Stage of Dementia, a person is still able to function. They can get up, get dressed and take a shower. Daily tasks can be completed, but they might forget things from time to time. They may need assistance with not missing any appointments and remembering to take medicine. At times, there might be increased confusion. People can spend years in the early stages.
In the Middle Stages, there is a loss of identity and independence, and the person is increasingly forgetful. They may not be able to bathe themselves and might not be able to recall certain information such as their address or phone number.
The Late Stages are the most severe. A person has a hard time walking and getting out of bed and might even need to be lifted. Communication is difficult, and they might not want to express what they need. Additionally, they might lose memories of recent experiences and surroundings. Issues such as incontinence may arise. Around the clock care is needed.
These are symptoms that caregivers need to be especially aware of and the ability to deal with them. At Orchard Living View, we have qualified Caregivers to work with dementia patients.
About Orchard Living View
Orchard Living View is a non-medical home care agency assisting seniors age in their own homes. Orchard Living View hires caregivers who are truly passionate about nurturing others, and who feel that caregiving is more than just a job. We work with clients that have chronic illness, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Our agency is trusted by doctors and hospitals throughout Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland County to provide caregivers that help clients adapt to their changing needs as they evolve.
