Dementia Care for Patients and Caregivers

Taking care of loved ones with memory impairment can be stressful, but caregivers are not alone. Southeastern Health Care at Home (SE) medical professionals develop individualized, clinically-sound care plans for patients while surrounding caregivers with guidance and support. SE’s practices maximize quality of life for the patient while maintaining his/her dignity.

SE’s skilled clinicians assess each dementia-care patient as a whole person by considering their social, environmental, and medical history. The team begins by assessing the level of memory impairment, using this information to customize a treatment plan to effectively manage medications, comorbidities, and social/environmental challenges.

Caregivers are walked through best practice options so patients can successfully age in place, a solution that is often the most comfortable and most cost-efficient option. Some examples of the support provided to caregivers include:

• Education to caregivers on how to best communicate with residents or loved ones
• Guidelines on how to prevent caregiver burnout
• Assistance with access to community resources
• Prevention and management of negative patient behaviors such as crying and hitting
• Caregiver education on maximizing patient nutrition and hydration
• Optimizing patient mobility and safety in the home with environmental modifications
• Advanced care planning to respect patient and caregiver wishes for the future