If you’re a family caregiver of a loved one with memory loss, you’re not alone. 140,000 older adults in Georgia experience some form of cognitive decline. With over 80% of affected older adults aging at home, family caregivers are in good company. Even if full-time professional care is out of reach for your family, affordable help is available.
Family Caregiving in the Digital Age
Caring for an independent loved one with cognitive decline means balancing your own peace of mind with their desire to age in place. Thankfully, you’re in the Digital Age of Family Caregiving – which means you have access to digital technology that’s anywhere, anytime, and makes you smarter about their care. A Digital Caregiver answers the two most important questions every family asks: “Is my loved one safe and well RIGHT NOW?” and “How can I keep my loved one living independently for as long as possible?”
Is My Loved One Safe and Well Right Now?
Part-time services and family visits mean your loved spends much of their time unsupervised. Dementia stays after the caregiver leaves the home, so an older adult is at risk any time they’re left alone. A Digital Caregiver is technology in the home that works 24×7 to immediately alert a family caregiver’s phone if a loved one may be at risk. It works silently, continuously, and is practically invisible.
The best products use a loved one’s behavior when they’re home alone – wandering, elopement, confusion, sleeping, waking, toileting etc – to determine when an older adult may need immediate help.
How Can I Keep My Loved One Living Independently Longer?
Behavior is an excellent marker of risk. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine reports that behavior is the most significant determinant of health – even more impactful than medicine. When a Digital Caregiver uses an older adult’s behavior to assess risk, the behavior information saved, analyzed, and reported by the system is clinically relevant. This treasure trove of information may uncover alarming new behaviors, behaviors that have quietly changed over time, or even unseen symptoms of illness. Smart family caregivers share this behavior information with doctors and care professionals to ensure diagnoses and care decisions avoid unreliable self-reporting or an incomplete picture.
Choosing a Digital Caregiver
Behavior Discovery is how the best Digital Caregivers make your care smarter. Behavior based Digital Caregivers have already helped doctors diagnose UTIs and dehydration from unusual toileting behavior. Wandering, elopement, and day/night confusion discovered by Digital Caregivers have resulted in an increase of social services for older adults. Behavioral symptoms of insomnia have led to diagnoses and treatment for sleep apnea. Even anxiety has behavioral symptoms discovered by Digital Caregivers.
Caregiving Made Smarter
The envoyatHome Digital Caregiver is an affordable addition to any care plan. Full-time digital care is affordable for families of older adults who are alone at night or can’t meet the minimum service hours required by home care agencies. By supplementing “high touch” with “high tech”, families can afford 24×7 care.
Family caregiving in the Digital Age is mobile, smart, and affordable. For more information about the envoyatHome Digital Caregiver, contact Home Care Matters Flowery Branch.
Because after all, they still have dementia after the caregiver leaves.
The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care in Flowery Branch, GA, and the surrounding areas. Call (770) 965-4004 for more information.
We provide elder care in Braselton, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Oakwood, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Barrow County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Jackson County, North Fulton County.
Valerie has the unique experience with home care as she has experienced it from both ends of the spectrum, as a caregiver and as needing care herself as a cancer survivor. Valerie says, “Taking care of someone you love is a physically, mentally and demanding labor of love.Taking care of my mom was the hardest thing I have ever done. It has given me an insight and perspective not many people understand unless you are doing it or have done it.I loved taking care of my mom.I love helping others take care of their love ones too.And now that I’ve been sick, it’s given me a whole new level of empathy and understanding for those who are sick and need help.”
Valerie’s schedule varies daily, but she loves visiting with our clients, families, caregivers, our network partners and being in the office.Says Valerie, “Every day is different, but I wake up excited about what we do, inspired by our team, clients and caregivers.I strive to be a resource to the community.I love my team and I love what we do every day. I like to think my mom would be proud.”
You can reach Valerie by email (Valerie@homecarematters.com) or in our office (770.965.4004).
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