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10-07-2009 at 08:41 am by: Jennifer Benjamin
Home Companions and Alzheimer's Disease.
One of the job duties of a Home Companion is to engage the elderly client in activities. Depending on the client's level of cognitive ability those activities could range from playing a game of scrabble to folding towels together to going for a walk. When a senior with memory impairment starts a routine of social interaction, physical activities, and recreational activities, she will begin to increase her level of brain activity. The more the brain is being exercised the healthier it is. A healthy brain requires a balanced diet, physical fitness, and mental stimulation (i.e. learning new things, socializing). In one case, a Family First Home Companion was requested for Aileen, who was 87 years old and had Alzheimer's. She lived with her daughter, Susan who worked full time and was her primary caregiver. When Susan first setup the companion from Family First, her plan was to have her mom in a nursing home within a couple of months. Aileen was unable to dress herself, unable to prepare food, didn't remember to take her medicine, aand was wandering out of the home and getting lost. The care plan was a day filled with activities, meal planning, and supervision for Aileen. After two weeks Aileen was functioning much better. She was eating three meals a day, had less mood swings, and was able to carry on conversations that she couldn't do before the companion. A year later, Alzheimer's disease finally advanced and Aileen had to go into a nursing home. Susan was grateful that the companion helped her mom to stay at home much longer than what she anticipated. The companion also gave her mom the quality of life for that year that she deserved. |
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