what should a home care provider really be doing?
What to Do When Your Parent Won't Admit Dementia
Adrian Cano
Losing your cognitive abilities is a frightening process. Many aging parents won't want to admit that they are having trouble taking care of themselves. That makes it hard to get the proper care for them. Here are some things you can do when a parent is reluctant to admit dementia.
Realize Denial Is Natural
Denial is a natural reaction for many dementia patients. It's embarrassing to admit that you've had trouble completing tasks that have been a natural part of your day for decades. If you imagine that denial is something that many children are met with when dealing with a parent who has dementia, it's easier to push forward and keep your parent safe.
At some point, your parent will probably realize that they can't go on living at risk. Until then, you may have to provide support at a distance.
Get a Documented Medical Diagnosis
Perhaps a doctor's diagnosis is something that would help you and your parent. Your parent might think that some memory loss is a natural part of getting older. But with a doctor's watch and opinion, they might realize that their cognitive symptoms are more serious than what the average person goes through as they age. A doctor can help them take the process more seriously. On the other side, a doctor's advice is important for you when you're trying to get medical help for a parent who is refusing it.
While you're in the process of getting medical information for your parent, it's also helpful to seek out vision exams, hearing testing, among other health checks. If your mom has a hearing or sight issue, that makes it even more urgent to get her daily care to keep her safe and make her life easier.
Subtly Provide Help
You might subtly and gradually provide help to your parent. You can install monitoring systems that track the amount of activity in the house or allow your parent to easily call 911 by speaking rather than picking up the phone. You could have physical therapy specialists or nurses who subtly monitor your parent's mental health as they provide other services.
Home care aides can provide a variety of services to aging parents, from providing help with daily chores to providing emotional support; they also sometimes play the role of letting you know how a parent is really doing if they are putting on their toughest face when you're around.
Check on Assisted Living Options
You'll still want to know what assisted living options are available for your parent. Even when your parent isn't fully cooperative and you don't think they would approve a move to an assisted living facility right now, you can still do your own research and speak with facilities that you might find appropriate. When the time is right, you can introduce the idea to your parent with dementia. They might need to warm up to the idea and make a few visits before agreeing that it could be a positive change in their life.
Share
If you have a home health care worker in your home, you know very well how helpful he or she can be. What you may not know is what all that worker is supposed to be doing while in your home. Does the service provide general housecleaning services? Should he or she be doing laundry for the one that they are caring for? My blog will show you what services may or may not be offered by home health care services so that you can look further into what the service you have hired is supposed to be doing in your home.