What kind of responsibilities does a dementia caregiver have?

A dementia caregiver is a skilled professional trained to recognize the symptoms of dementia. A dementia caregiver provides ongoing, quality care for a senior suffering from dementia. General responsibilities include:

• Maintaining their safety
  • Among the many caregiver duties, ensuring the client’s safety is a high priority. Some Alzheimer’s patients tend to wander from their homes, so caregivers should keep a watchful eye on their clients. Make sure doors are locked and neighbors are aware of the client’s habits. Other caregiver responsibilities include making sure the home is safe (childproof locks on cabinets and doors, closely monitoring the use of kitchenware and the stove, keeping medicine locked up, etc.)

• Medication reminders
  • A physician may prescribe medications that temporarily improve dementia symptoms. Seniors who are prescribed medications should be careful to take the right doses at the right time. Dementia caregivers are essential in reminding care recipients to take the right pills and to be on schedule.

• Routines
  • Dementia patients thrive best with daily routines; therefore, it’s important to stick to a schedule. Patterns in everyday life help seniors know what to expect and help to continue achieving some things on their own. Dementia caregivers should establish set times for meals, bathing, and grooming.

• Prevent wandering
  • Individuals with dementia are prone to wandering, so caregivers help ensure they get from place to place safely.

• Be calm and patient
  • When working with Alzheimer’s patients, it’s important to be cool, calm, and collected while performing caregiver duties. Seniors with Alzheimer’s sometimes have days where they’re disassociated from the present. It’s important to be patient and understanding during these times to avoid agitating the client further.

• Getting your loved one’s health, legal, and financial affairs in order
  • If possible, include them in the planning while they can still make discussions. Later, you will need to take over managing their finances and paying their bills.

• Miscellaneous tasks
  • Doing housework and cooking
  • Providing company and emotional support
  • Arranging medical care and making health decisions
  • Evaluating their house and making sure it’s safe for their needs