Tag: Dementia care

Since the middle stages of dementia have set in, you’ve noticed your mom’s not doing as well as she used to in terms of hygiene and grooming. As much as you try to help her, your mom rebuffs your assistance, and certainly won’t let you be the one to help her with more intimate tasks like bathing and oral care. Personal care at home services are a good solution.

Proper Clothing Choices Protect Your Health

As dementia increases, the ability to properly choose clothing is tough. Your mom can’t understand what the weather forecast means or how to dress appropriately. You find she starts to wear heavy sweaters and jeans on the hottest days of summer. But, she tries to go outside without a hat, gloves, and heavy coat in the winter.

Personal care at home aides help your mom choose the clothing that matches the weather. She’ll no longer be dressed so that she’s overheating or risking hypothermia if she heads outside.

Your Mom Avoids Pain and Infections With Proper Skin Care Routines

Skin rashes and infections are both possible if your mom is unable to properly care for her skin. This includes washing her skin in a shower, rinsing off all of the soap and residue, and drying off after. She needs to apply moisturizer to protect her skin from drying out and cracking, which increases the risk of developing an infection.

If your mom experiences incontinence, irritation from exposure to urine is possible. After an accident, she should clean up, change her clothing and incontinence pad if needed, and apply a barrier cream. A caregiver can help her do this, as she isn’t going to be able to do it on her own.

Tooth and Gum Care Prevents Infection and Inflammation

As tempting as it is to just stop fighting your mom when it comes to brushing and flossing her teeth, it can lead to painful infections. Gum disease can lead to infections that impact the jawbone and loosened teeth. It makes it hard to eat any foods that need to be chewed.

It can also cause tooth decay which leads to the need for a root canal and crown placement. It’s very unlikely your mom will sit still for this type of procedure, and the care needs following tooth extraction are also concerning.

Arrange personal care at home services that support your mom’s needs in the latter stages of dementia. She’s going to need help with all aspects of grooming and hygiene, including showers, skin care, oral care, dressing, and everything else that she used to do.

Talk to your mom’s doctors about her progression and what you should be expecting in the future. After that conversation, arrange personal care at home to ensure her grooming and hygiene needs are covered.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Edina, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

Dementia can make it difficult for your mom to know how to dress for the weather. She has no idea what time of year she’s in. You might find her wanting to wear a winter jacket and boots on the hottest day of the summer. She may want to run around in shorts and a t-shirt in below-zero temperatures. In the heat of summer, she’s complaining about the air conditioning being too cold. She comes out in jeans and a sweater and then says she’s too hot.

How can you help your mom dress appropriately for the weather? These tips can help you figure out how to get her to dress for the weather without frustrating her, and how personal care at home can help.

Put Away Clothes That Don’t Match the Season

Your mom doesn’t need her swimsuit and flip-flops in the middle of the winter. Put those away until spring arrives. Her winter jackets, sweaters, socks, and boots should go into storage in the summer. If they’re not in her cupboards or drawers, she won’t pull them out and try to wear them.

Lay Out Options the Night Before

Let your mom choose, but limit her to a few options. If you know it will start cool and get warmer, set out yoga pants and jeans, a t-shirt and a tank top, and a cardigan and a fleece pullover. She can choose her undergarments and socks.

She’ll have a choice over what she wears, but you’ve had the chance to provide options that suit the weather. She’ll be happy, and you know she’s in layers that can be taken on and off as needed.

Give Her a Choice

Let her pick out the clothes she wears. Once she does, you can fill in the gaps. If she picks shorts and a tank top on a cold, rainy day, add sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She may not wear them at first, but she’ll put them on if she gets cold.

Clothing that is easy to put on and take off will be the things she gravitates to. Look for pants that pull-on, such as yoga pants. Choose shirts that pull on loosely over the head, meaning avoid turtlenecks.

Set Her Up With Personal Care at Home Services

End the struggles you have with your mom each morning. You don’t have to turn up the heat to keep her warm or crank up the AC to ensure she’s cool enough. Personal care at home aides can help her dress appropriately.

Hire personal care at home services to ensure your mom has a selection of clothing each morning that provides layers. She can add a layer if she’s cold or take them off if she’s warm. She’ll be layered up to help insulate her from winter’s cold if she goes outside. Call a home care agency to learn more.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Burnsville, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.