How Can Alzheimer’s Disease Affect Your Elderly Loved One’s Safety at Home?

Elderly Care Mooresville NC

For a family caregiver, helping an elderly loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can be frightening. Not only are there the physical and emotional ramifications, but there is also your loved one’s safety to worry about.

It Can Affect Her Judgment

Your elderly loved one has a disease that impairs her brain functions, which includes her ability to make sound decisions. Your loved one might forget how to use appliances or tools that have literally been part of her entire life until now. She may also think that certain activities are perfectly fine to do, even though she has clear indications that the activity is unsafe. All of this can be disturbing, both for your elderly loved one and for you.

It Can Affect Her Behavior 

As your elderly loved one’s brain changes due to the Alzheimer’s disease, her behavior will also change. She may show habits or traits that were never part of her personality before, such as being constantly afraid or suspicious. She may wander now when that was never a problem before. These behaviors can cause her to do things she might not have ever done before.

It Can Affect How She Views Places and Time

Your elderly loved one may start to become confused about more than just her behavior or decisions she needs to make. She may also start to become confused about where she is and whether she’s in the past or the present. This is disorientating for family members, of course, but also for your elderly loved one. She may even try to leave her home, fearing that she is somewhere that she is not supposed to be.

It Can Affect Her Physical Abilities

As your elderly loved one’s brain starts to have more and more difficulty, her body does as well. Your loved one can experience problems with her balance and strength. Exercise can help quite a bit, but you need to be diligent with it. Your loved one’s brain controls more than just her thoughts and as her brain functions deteriorate, sadly so does her physical control.

Work with your elderly loved one’s doctor and in-home elderly care providers to keep her as safe as possible at home.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Mooresville NC, please contact the caring staff at Tender Hearted Home Care today. (704) 612-4132.