Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive condition, but its symptoms can also place seniors at risk for physical harm. Families should be aware of the following dangers and implement preventive strategies to keep their senior loved ones safe.
Medication Misuse
As Alzheimer’s progresses, your loved one may find it more difficult to keep up with medications, but missing a dose or taking an extra dose can cause serious harm to his or her health. You may need to hire a caregiver to remind your loved one when it’s time to take his or her daily medications.
Senior home care providers can benefit aging adults in a variety of ways. From cooking nutritious meals to offering timely medication reminders, the dedicated caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care are available to help your elderly loved one 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Malnutrition
The same memory loss that makes it challenging for seniors to remember to take their medications can also cause them to skip meals. Over time, forgetting to eat can lead to nutritional deficiencies that place your loved one’s health in jeopardy.
You may notice your loved one losing a lot of weight and experiencing other symptoms like fatigue and mood swings. Making arrangements for assistance with meal preparation and someone to share meals with your loved one can prevent malnutrition.
Wandering
If your loved one wanders away from home, he or she may face many physical dangers. For instance, wandering can expose your loved one to extreme weather and make him or her vulnerable to abuse from criminals.
During the early stages of Alzheimer’s, you can prevent your loved one from wandering by keeping him or her busy throughout the day. As the symptoms intensify, closer supervision by a trusted Alzheimer’s caregiver can help your loved one stay safe at home.
There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Assisting Hands Home Care is a leading Fort Lauderdale home care service provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life.
House Fires
Leaving the stove on after preparing meals is one of the main causes of house fires among seniors with Alzheimer’s because the symptoms of the disease make it easier for them to get distracted and wander away while they’re cooking. Curling irons and other appliances that use heat can also be dangerous.
Make sure your loved one’s appliances have automatic shutoffs set to timers. Providing assistance with cooking is another way to protect your loved one from experiencing serious fire-related accidents and injuries.Every senior living with Alzheimer’s deserves high-quality Alzheimer’s care. Fort Lauderdale families can rely on the caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care to keep their loved ones safe while managing the symptoms of the disease. Our caregivers help seniors regain a sense of pride and accomplishment while promoting cognitive health. To create a customized in-home care plan for your loved one, call us today.
