Making a dementia care plan for your loved one can be overwhelming and daunting. The symptoms deteriorate over time, giving rise to worsening behavioral issues. With the advent of disease, your dear one’s degree of care will change. While you cannot change their diagnosis, you can take precautions to ensure their safety and health by making advance plans.
Care Plans with Progression of Dementia
Typically, dementia advances over a long time. Although the damage is first undetectable and moderate, it worsens over time. It is necessary to modify the form and volume of assistance appropriately.
Families must be mindful of how care needs will evolve so they can plan. Generally, dementia progress is described in three phases. The three phases of dementia are the early, middle, and advanced or late phases. These phases provide comprehensive knowledge that can be applied to care planning. There are the following treatment objectives for these phases:
- First phase
Initial symptoms of dementia are not severe. Dementia patients can remain independent and perform most tasks with minimal to no assistance. However, they can start to lose their capacity for planning and decision-making and grow more forgetful. Other symptoms in this phase include personality changes, language issues, and mood swings. Caregivers should make efforts to preserve autonomy and respect. Care aims to keep the patient happy and independent.
- Second phase
For caretakers, mid-stage dementia is frequently the most difficult. Even people with dementia often experience distress because they are unaware of their condition and cannot comprehend much of what is happening around them.
Caregivers must make safety a priority. This is because the patient is more vulnerable due to reduced cognition and awareness and may present more altered and dangerous conduct. Caregivers must understand the challenges faced by people with dementia. Some people might be cooperative and mindful of their surroundings and threats. However, many other individuals with dementia won’t be able to. They are confused about their issues since they are unaware they have dementia. They could become quite unhappy about losing control, which may lead to agitation, and wandering.
- Third Phase
The dementia patient is now fully reliant on others for all tasks. They have poor body control and struggle to convey things or to understand themselves. People with advanced dementia frequently become helpless in the advanced stages. They experience more health issues. While some of these are caused by dementia, other ailments can stay undetected because the patients can’t recognize when they’re sick. Care for patients with late-stage dementia requires significantly different planning and expertise in home caregiving.
It is no more risk-free to leave your dear ones by themselves; they will require round-the-clock care and supervision. Caregivers must strive to provide dignity, comfort, and a good quality of life. This entails reevaluating medication prescriptions and therapeutic philosophies.
This is a challenging situation for family members who must undertake care decisions while also coping with pain and bereavement. For those with end-stage dementia, maintaining quality of life is an important objective.
You can also contact one of the memory care communities if you require assistance in creating a plan for the care of your dear one. They can assist in identifying the best option for your family and identify the care requirements of your loved one.
