One of the biggest challenges faced by elderly citizens is the declining cognitive functions. This often leads to cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Sometimes these disorders can cause long-term and short-term memory loss.
Because of these cognitive disorders, many elderly patients forget their surroundings and identity. Slowly, they also forget basic motor skills and behavior such as eating or having a bath.
Such patients require specialized caregivers who are equipped to handle and provide quality care and supervision.
Here are the following reasons to have specialized caregivers for elderly people with cognitive disorders
1. Supervision
Elderly patients with cognitive disorders need supervision. Even for their daily tasks, they need assistance and monitoring as they might forget how to use the washroom or how to switch the geyser etc. They might leave the house and get lost. A specialized caregiver will monitor and assist the elderly person with dementia and Alzheimer’s to ensure their safety and well-being.
2. Medical routine management
Elderly patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia have different regimens and medical routines. It needs to be followed strictly for stabilizing the patient’s conditions. They require special physiotherapy so that they do not lose their mobility. To ensure they sleep well and are able to digest food, special caregivers are needed to administer the medicines and inform the doctors about the progress.
3. Compassion care
Along with physical care, elderly patients with cognitive disorders also need compassion and a holistic geriatric care approach by specialized caregivers and nurses. Patients with dementia often forget things including their name, age, identity. Their behavior patterns are more child-like with stubbornness and outbursts in cases of confusion. Hence, they need to be treated with compassion and patience much like how parents take care of their newborns. This helps to calm them down and create a sense of familiarity with the caregiver, and simultaneously establish trust.
4. Special dietary planning
Elderly patients with cognitive disorders often lose the ability to chew and swallow their food even after regular care and medications. Their digestive organs also slow down. They need a more nutritious yet digestible liquid diet. To administer and monitor the intake of the special dietary needs of dementia patients, special caregivers are required
5. Hygiene assistance
With gradual cognitive failure and memory loss, elderly patients are often left in unhygienic conditions. They may stay in wet beds which can cause skin infections and even aggravate their bed sores if any. The lack of cleaning and washing might worsen their other organs. Also, living in such conditions reduces their dignity of living. Hence, special caregivers are needed to assist them with their hygiene needs and ensure they live in a clean and healthy environment.
At Anvayaa, we understand the need for special geriatric care requirements which would improve the health care and emotional care of patients with cognitive disorders. You can customize your elderly care plans with our specialized dementia and cognitive home-care and nursing services
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