Home Care Iowa: Remain Safe At Home With Dementia
Providing care for a person with dementia can have its challenges. Whether your care recipient experiences symptoms like memory challenges, wandering, emotional changes, or sundowning, the condition can take its toll on both of you. You may find that their care needs exceed what you’re able to provide, especially as their condition progresses.
In this article, we’ll discuss how exploring care options like home care can support you on your caregiving journey.
If your care recipient can’t access certain services or you’re looking for ways to boost your home caregiving skills, Trualta can help. If you reside in Iowa, you can access Trualta’s caregiver education, resources, and more to help you build your caregiving skills and community. If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.
What Is Home Care?
Home care refers to non-medical care services that are provided in your care recipient’s home. Depending on the type of support you or your care recipient needs, there are different services and providers for home care. Home care may be available from an individual hired directly or through an agency.
These services are usually paid for by the hour. Some agencies or individuals may offer overnight services, which usually cost a flat rate. The type of service and how much help you need can affect the cost. Home care may be paid for privately, but private insurance or Medicare may cover some costs depending on your care recipient’s needs and the service provided. Some organizations may also offer grants you can apply for to cover home care costs.
How Does Home Care Iowa Support Dementia Care?
While there are different types of dementia, they all have something in common: an impact on a person’s daily living and activities. This is due to brain changes that affect abilities like organizing, processing, planning, memory, and more. Many caregiver agencies and individuals offer home care specifically catering to the needs of people with dementia. Here are some examples of how they might support you and your care recipient:
- Helping with activities of daily living and personal care tasks. Your care recipient may need reminders, prompting, or physical support with tasks like dressing, eating, bathing, and using the bathroom.
- Reminding them to take medications so that they’re taken on time.
- Providing supervision and supporting safety. People with dementia may wander, try to exit the home, or engage in unsafe behaviors. A home caregiver can help ensure your care recipient stays safe.
- Other homemaking services that can be difficult or unsafe for your care recipient to do on their own. For example, light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation and clean up, and errands like grocery shopping.
- Helping them stay active. Research has shown that home-based physical activity helps delay cognitive decline and improve other dementia symptoms.
- Transportation services. Because your care recipient may no longer be able to drive, a home caregiver may be able to drive them to appointments or other community activities.
- Respite care. Delegating care to another caregiver may allow you time to focus on self-care or other caregiving tasks.
What Are The Benefits Of Home Care For Dementia?
Dementia progresses over time, which means your care recipient’s care needs will increase over time. Receiving home care services not only supports their independence and ability to age in place, but also allows them to stay in a familiar environment for as long as possible.
- Provide person-centered care. There are several types of dementia, and every person is unique. Choosing a caregiver with dementia-specific training can help ensure your care recipient’s unique needs are met. Some caregivers may support your care recipient’s independence by modifying tasks to meet their abilities.
- Understanding the condition. For example, many individuals with dementia experience symptoms like sundowning, responsive behaviors like agitation, or communication challenges. Caregivers trained on how to manage these challenges can help ensure care runs smoothly.
- Building social relationships. One-on-one care in the home gives your care recipient the opportunity to connect with another person.
- Saving travel time to receive care services or get tasks done. This can be especially helpful if your care recipient lives in a rural area or when weather conditions make transportation difficult.
- Giving you peace of mind. Delegating care tasks can help give you time to focus on other caregiving tasks or provide a much-needed break.
- Flexibility. Many home care plans can be adjusted if your care recipient’s needs change.
| Important! There may come a time during your care journey when your care recipient requires a higher level or frequency of care than what can be provided at home. If this is the case, you and your care recipient may need to explore long-term care solutions. |
Where Can I Access Medical Care At Home?
Depending on your care recipient’s needs, they may qualify for home health care services. This is care for an illness or injury that is delivered in a person’s home by healthcare professionals. They might include:
- Skilled nursing care
- Occupational, physical, or speech-language therapy
- Medical social services
- Home Health Aide care
Your care recipient needs to be assessed by their doctor and meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify and to have their services paid for by Medicare or Medicaid.
Choosing The Right Home Care
Choosing a home caregiver who is experienced in providing Dementia-specific care can help ensure your care recipient gets the right support. Here are some resources and contact information that may be able to help you find a home care Iowa service provider:
- The National Alliance for Care At Home Agency Locator
- The Eldercare Locator website or call 1-800-677-1116
- Talk to a doctor or other member of the healthcare team to direct you to resources
- Community Resource Finder – Care at Home
- The Alzheimer Association Iowa Chapter
- Iowa Health & Human Services – Caregiver Resources
- Your local Area Agency on Aging
- Faith-based organizations
It can be hard to hand over care tasks to someone else, especially when you understand your care recipient’s needs and preferences so well. Getting home care doesn’t mean you’re any less of a caregiver–in fact, reducing your stress and lightening your load can help become an even better caregiver.
References
- de Almeida, S. I. L., Gomes da Silva, M., & Marques, A. S. P. D. (2020). Home-Based Physical Activity Programs for People With Dementia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Gerontologist, 60(8), 600–608. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz176
- https://www.parkinson.org/resources-support/carepartners/outside-help
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-caregiving/getting-help-alzheimers-caregiving
- https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/activities-of-daily-living/
- https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/find-local-services
- https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/wandering
- https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/memory-care-vs-home-care
- https://www.comforcare.com/resources/what-is-home-care.html
- https://www.comforcare.com/resources/home-health-care-vs-in-home-care.html
- https://www.homeinstead.com/home-care-services/alzheimers-dementia-care/#:~:text=When%20you%20need%20in%2Dhome,home%20care%E2%80%8B%20we%20deliver.&text=Email%20Address%20Please%20enter%20a%20valid%20email%20address.&text=Please%20choose%20one.,enter%20a%20valid%20Postal%20Code.
- https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/welcome-iowa-medicaid/iowa-medicaid-programs/home-health
- https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services
