What Is Dementia?
Senior Care in East Grand Rapids MI
If you are like many family caregivers, one of the greatest concerns that you have for your elderly parent is dementia. You know that this condition would make a tremendous impact on your 
parent’s functionality and quality of life, and that it would place extensive demands on you as their caregiver. A large percentage of elderly adults will experience dementia and the risk for experiencing it increases with age, which means that it is important that you are prepared for the potential so you can continue to give your elderly loved one the highest quality of care possible. Whether it is to help them reduce the risk that they will develop dementia or to help them live a higher quality of life as they move through the condition, the care that you can give your parent will be greatly enhanced the more prepared you are. This starts with really understanding what dementia is.
Though often used as if it does, the term “dementia” does not refer to just one condition or disease. Rather, it is a term that is used to describe any type of reduction in cognitive functioning and ability that is significant enough to have a negative impact on their quality of life. It is extremely important to note that a dramatic loss is memory skill, cognitive ability, judgment, or other mental ability and skill is not a normal part of aging. Though the term “senility” is still sometimes used to refer to those older adults who are going through this type of condition, this implies that it is simply a part of life that should be accepted or anticipated. This, fortunately, is not the case. While many elderly adults will suffer from some form of dementia throughout their later years, but it is not inevitable and not something that they just have to tolerate. Instead, the various forms of dementia have risk factors that you can address to help reduce the chances that your parent will experience the condition and there are things that you can do to help your parent manage the condition if it does arise.
If your elderly parent has been showing signs of dementia or has been progressing through the condition and has been experiencing challenges and limitations that have increased to the point that you feel they would benefit from additional support, now is the ideal time for you to consider senior care for them. Having a senior home care services provider in the home with your elderly loved one is an exceptional way to ensure that they get the customized level of care, support, encouragement, and assistance that they need as they progress through their dementia. Regardless of the type of dementia that your parent is suffering, the highly personalized services of a senior care provider are designed to address their individual symptoms while also respecting their individuality, personality, lifestyle, and goals. This means that they are able to remain safe, healthy, and comfortable while also maintaining as much independence, activity, and fulfillment as they age in place.
If you or someone you know needs help with senior care in East Grand Rapids, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
Sources:
http://www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp
http://www.alz.org/dementia/types-of-dementia.asp
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