http://www.alwaysbestcare.com/ | If you’re ready to take the plunge and enlist at-home care services, Always Best Care can help you discover what needs you need to fill and what health-related issues need to be taken into consideration.

1. Determining your In-Home Care Needs: A Checklist
When you are considering at-home care for seniors, you have many options. Before you start
looking for the perfect service for your loved one, you should assess his/her needs. Not all
seniors will need help in every area that a professional can provide. Understanding the most
important needs and filling them will help to make the relationship with a caregiver as seamless
as possible.
Activities Involved in Daily Living
The most basic area to start is your loved one’s everyday life. No task should go unconsidered in
this area. You will need to evaluate your loved one’s abilities in the following areas:
Dressing
Bathing
Caring for his/her hair
Caring for his/her dental health
Going to the bathroom on his/her own
Walking/climbing stairs
Driving
Running errands
Managing household tasks, such as cleaning and cooking
Eating
Communicating with loved ones
Handling bills/paperwork
Health Considerations
In addition to your loved one’s abilities to handle daily tasks is the professional assessment of
his/her physical health. These considerations tie into the daily activities that your loved one is
able or unable to perform, but gives you a better idea of the type of help that you need to find for
him/her. Talk to your loved one’s doctor about:
Mobility issues – Is your loved one able to get around the house completely on his/her
own or is help needed? If stairs are an issue or a walker is needed for longer walks, this
needs to be noted. If physical assistance is needed to climb stairs or even to walk around
the house, it is important to know that up front.
Vision issues – Vision should be professionally evaluated in order to keep your loved one
safe. Unlike physical mobility, it is pretty difficult for you to determine on your own
whether your loved one is having difficulty with vision. If he/she suddenly starts falling
down or making obvious mistakes, failing vision might be a consideration, but it is not

2. until that point that it is obvious. Getting a professional evaluation can help you get your
loved one the help they need.
Hearing issues – If there is a loss of hearing, your loved one might need assistance in
many areas of communication to eliminate the risk of mistakes and misunderstandings. A
professional evaluation will tell you the level of difficulty that your loved one is
experiencing to allow you to find the appropriate level of in-home care.
Miscellaneous Issues
While daily living activities and health considerations are at the top of the list when it comes to
evaluating a person’s need for care, there are other factors to consider as well.
Mental wellbeing – It can be difficult to distinguish if a loved one is experiencing normal
signs of aging or showing the beginning stages of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s
or depression. The signs and symptoms of either of these diseases tie into the inability to
completely daily tasks, but are not a tell-tale sign on their own. Evaluate your loved one’s
ability to:
o Keep track of daily items, such as clothing, medication and keys
o Watch his/her appetite to determine if there is decreased appetite or willingness to
eat
o Watch his/her interactions with others or note if he/she is withdrawing from the
usual activities
Adequate Nutrition – When a loved one’s eating habits begin to change, it can be due to a
combination of inability to shop/prepare meals as well as an underlying medical
condition. If there are issues of loneliness, depression or inadequacies to complete the
jobs required to get proper nutrition, a person’s health can suffer. Understanding where
the issues lie can help you secure the right type of help.
The Bottom Line
Everyone ages differently and requires different needs. When you evaluate your loved one for in-
home care, consider the above areas to distinguish where the help is most needed. Having a hand
in the care that your loved one receives can help you both feel better about the situation, ensuring
that all of your loved one’s needs are met
About Always Best Care
Always Best Care is home to a team of experts that serve as an exceptional resource for in-home
senior care. They specialize in helping families determine the right solution for their loved one,
helping families get through a very stressful time in their life while providing exceptional help
for their loved one. If you have any questions or would like more information about non-
medical home care, visit Always Best Care online.

3. Summary
Before you secure non-medical at-home care for your loved one, it is important to fully evaluate
his/her needs with the help of a checklist to ensure that the appropriate help is provided and that
your loved one is well cared for on a daily basis.

4. At-Home Care for Seniors with Alzheimer’s
The goal of many patients with Alzheimer’s disease is to stay in their own home. While in the
beginning it might be possible with the help of a spouse, adult children or other extended family
members, over time it can become draining and debilitating for everyone. This does not mean
that all Alzheimer’s patients will end up in a care facility, as there are options for in-home care
for seniors with Alzheimer’s.
Why Care is Needed
Even when spouses or other family members think that they can handle all of their loved one’s
needs, extra help is usually required. Over time, the caregiver can suffer from a lack of sleep,
increased stress, and even financial issues if work is stopped temporarily to care for a loved one.
The difficulties that these issues pose on a caregiver’s own health and wellbeing can become
overwhelming for a family. In these instances, non-medical at-home care can really be a great
help.
The Services Provided
There are many levels of service that can be provided for a patient with Alzheimer’s. In some
cases, only basic companion services are required, while in other cases, more extensive services
are needed that include caring for personal grooming and keeping up a home. The care provided
by a professional can be the sole care that your loved one receives or can serve as a supplement
to the care that family members are providing. A few of the services that can be provided
include:
Social services including accompanying the patient to events
Transportation assistance
Personal care including help with bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming and dental care
Assistance with keeping up a home including cooking, cleaning and shopping
Assistance with nutrition to ensure that all health needs are met
Assistance with communication and financial issues
Learning to Ask for Help
As your loved one’s caregiver, it is acceptable to want or need help. It does not help the
Alzheimer’s patient for his/her loved ones to start having their own health and/or financial issues
as a result of being their caregiver. Making the move to enlist the help of an in-home care
professional is a benefit to everyone, including the Alzheimer’s patient. Having an able bodied
person be able to be with your loved one as much as is required while allowing you to keep up

5. your daily life requirements is essential. This allows you to be able to be fully present with your
loved one when you visit, rather than being burdened with all of the requirements and help that
he/she needs in addition to your own needs.
Choosing the right non-medical at-home care professional requires plenty of time and research.
You want only the best when it comes to your loved one and to be able to ensure his/her safety
and wellbeing in your absence. Understanding your loved one’s level of dementia and overall
needs will help you navigate the process of finding a proper caregiver that will provide the care
needed and go above and beyond the expectations of your family
Summary
Alzheimer’s patients sometimes need a little more help than loved ones can provide, when the
patient remains in their own home. Enlisting the help of a qualified in-home care professional
can be exactly what you and your loved one needs.
About Always Best Care
Always Best Care is home to a team of experts that serve as an exceptional resource for in-home
senior care. They specialize in helping families determine the right solution for their loved one,
helping families get through a very stressful time in their life while providing exceptional help
for their loved one. If you would like more information on how to find the right professional for
your loved one, visit Always Best Care online.