Living alone is usually fine for someone in the early stages of dementia, but they will likely need assistance later on. Living in a safe, familiar, and comfortable place is essential to everyone, including people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. It is beneficial for them to continue living at home rather than moving to a nursing home or senior care facility where the environment and surroundings are unfamiliar.
It is often difficult to decide when a person is at too much risk to continue living alone. Each person’s living situation should be monitored and assessed carefully as the disease progresses. They may begin to need assistance with specific tasks. So, while they may be fine living alone, they may still need assistance occasionally. At this point, you may consider hiring a caregiver to assist.
Helping a Dementia Patient Live Alone
Patients who have been diagnosed with a form of dementia often can live on their own for many years. A few things that you can do to help:
- Speak to your local Dementia Society, community support agency or senior care worker about help with caregiving, meal preparation or transportation.
- Leave a set of house keys with a trusted neighbor.
- Use electrical appliances that shut off on their own.
- Label cupboards with words or pictures that describe what is inside, for example, dishes, knives, and forks.
- Leave written reminders like “turn off the stove” or “unplug the iron.” Place them where they will see them.
Once a dementia patient gets to the point where they can no longer care for themselves or perform “Activities of Daily Living”, a family member or caregiver may need to begin providing part or full-time care. They could still live at home but would likely need a caregiver present for most or all of the time.
Get Dementia Care from the Leading Home Care Providers in Wichita, KS
Are you looking for a qualified, affordable caregiver trained in dementia care? Call (316) 691-5050 and talk to one of our staff at Progressive Care. We are one of Kansas’s largest home care providers and offer daily 24-hour living assistance, including nighttime watch, and personal care.
