Living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is a challenge for everyone involved—the person with the disease, as well as his or her loved ones. When managing these progressive brain disorders becomes too much to handle, professional home health care can provide the kinds of support, guidance, and assistance you need. VNSNY’s highly skilled and trained professionals often work together as a team to provide a broad array of services.

Our professionals include:

• Registered nurses who work closely with your primary care provider to manage at-home care. During a visit to your home, a nurse will evaluate your needs as they relate to Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia and any other conditions you may have (such as incontinence, swallowing problems, or high blood pressure) and develop a personalized plan of care for taking your medication, dealing with medication side effects, addressing home-safety issues, and managing your lifestyle; the nurse will continue to coordinate the delivery of services and revise your plan as necessary.
• Certified home health aides who can provide personal care (such as bathing or dressing), and under special circumstances check vital signs (like blood pressure) and your skin (to see if there are bedsores or other signs of infection), and remind you about medications or supplements. They can also shop for and prepare healthy meals that may be prescribed by a dietitian to help ensure you get the nutrients your body needs, as well as assist with laundry and household chores.
• Home attendants (a.k.a., personal care workers) who can help with basic activities of daily living—bathing, dressing, grooming, moving around the home, walking, eating, shopping, paying bills, doing laundry, organizing your home to make it easier for you to find things, checking for safety hazards (such as dangling electrical cords or faulty smoke detectors), and taking you to medical appointments.
• Licensed social workers who can assess your physical, functional, emotional, environmental, and social needs and suggest strategies, services, and resources for support, as well as providing advice on care-giving issues. Social workers can also step in and offer assistance if family relationships become strained as a result of caring for a loved one with dementia.
• Registered dietitians who will evaluate your nutritional needs, assess whether you have additional hydration and calorie requirements due to changes in physical activity or restlessness, and suggest meal plans or meal-delivery services if needed.

Getting the most from your care

The best way to make at-home care successful is to prepare for it in advance by making a list of responsibilities you’d like the home-care professional to take on. This way, you can be sure you’ll receive the help you need and won’t overlook anything that’s important to you.

It's also smart to map out a schedule for meals, medications, sleep, bathing, and other activities, and to compile a list of emergency phone numbers for doctors, as well as friends and family members who can help in a pinch. This way, everyone will know what to expect.