If you’ve ever watched a loved one go through Alzheimer’s, you know how helpful home care services can be. Caregiving, on the whole, is an all-encompassing service which you can offer to your loved one. It takes both physical and mental strength to be able to care for someone with Alzheimer’s well. Considering the effects and nature of Alzheimer’s, it’s reported that many caregivers experience high levels of stress and fatigue.
The tasks of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s often falls to loved ones, mainly because the tasks involved are intimate and personal. With Singapore’s aging population, the number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease is only expected to grow from 82,000 in 2018 to over 100,000 in a couple of years. The progressive nature of the disease also makes the work of caregiving services increase. Caregivers can look into professional home care in order to ease the burden from time to time.
Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and its effects will help you see the benefits of professional home care services.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a very common form of dementia. Resulting from a variety of diseases or injuries that impact the brain, dementia is a chronic and progressive illness in which brain function deteriorates beyond the normal aging process. Over time, patients with Alzheimer’s disease will be unable to carry out simple tasks or even have a conversation.
What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
Although both terms are often used interchangeably, dementia is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms that include impaired thinking and memory. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, forming almost 50 to 70% of all cases. Alzheimer’s is also degenerative and incurable.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
The very first signs of Alzheimer’s are usually marked by memory loss. Affected individuals may encounter problems recalling places, directions, and remembering new information. Other symptoms include:
- Communication issues
- Poor reasoning and orientation
- Making decisions
As the disease progresses over time, the symptoms only become more prominent. Eventually, affected individuals will require caregiving services on a 24-hour basis, as they lose the ability to carry out everyday tasks and take care of themselves. Home care services can greatly ease the burden of caregiving and improve the quality of life for both caregiver and patient.
How does Alzheimer’s disease affect caregivers?
Being a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can take a negative toll on one’s mental, physical, emotional, and financial health because the disease necessitates around-the-clock attention. Caregivers are often exhausted with little room to manage their own health. In addition, losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s is unlike other critical or terminal illnesses. Caregivers often end up losing their loved ones to memory loss and decline right before their very eyes. Coupled with a host of behavioural issues like mood swings, Alzheimer’s disease is not an easy burden to bear.
Seek home care services from our JagaPros
Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? Recognise the signs of burnout, fatigue, and mental health decline. Caregiving for Alzheimer’s can be painfully challenging, especially when the patient is someone close to you. Home care services can ease the burden, relieve you of some tasks and improve the quality of care for the patient.
The emotional weight of caregiving on a full-time basis can be challenging. With our home care services, you can trust in our expertise and partner with our nurses to provide your loved one with a manageable day-to-day life.
For more information on acquiring support for loved ones, read more here.
Find out more about Jaga-Me and our services here.
