If your parent has dementia and everyone in your family is arguing about how to properly care for them, this is very stressful. You may have some people that want your parent to stay in their home, while others think they should be put in a type of memory care unit. If all of you cannot come to an agreement and your parent can still help take care of themselves, you should hire a home healthcare agency to come to the home. This will help keep your parent happy at home until they get to a point where they have to go to a memory care unit. Below is some information about what a home health care worker can do for your parent.

Develop a Plan

The first thing the home health care worker will do is sit down with your parent and the family to determine how far into the disease your parent is. Once they determine this, they can develop a plan on how to properly care for them.

This plan will also help the home health care worker know how often they need to come to the home to help your parent. They will modify the plan as your parent's disease worsens over time. For example, your parent may be able to bathe on their own right now, but in a few weeks or months they will not be able to. When this happens, the home healthcare worker will come to your home full-time.

Help with Medication

The home healthcare worker will determine the medication that your parent takes. They will then likely use a pill compartment to make it much easier to determine the pills that are taken each day.

The home healthcare worker will also watch your parent for side effects from the medication that your parent may be having. You and the other family members may not notice these side effects. For example, your parent may not be eating as much or they may seem depressed. If the home healthcare worker finds problems, they will talk to you and contact your parent's doctor. The doctor can then make changes to their medication.

Help with Nutrition and Diet

The home healthcare worker will make sure your parent is getting the proper nutrition each day. Because your parent has dementia, they may not be eating as they normally would. This can cause them to become malnourished quickly.

The home health care worker will tell you the best meals to prepare for your parent. They may suggest giving them different types of vitamins. There are also nutritional counselors that can talk to you and other family members. The home healthcare worker will likely suggest your parent go to the doctor to be checked for nutrients that they may need.

Talk with the home healthcare agency that you choose about how they can help your parent.