Caring for Patients with Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The number of Americans living with degenerative nerve diseases is on the rise. As it continues to rise, so does the need for professional care. Having a safe and conducive environment to call home is essential for managing patients living with these diseases. Out of all these diseases, Alzheimer’s disease is the most popular.

Caring for a grandparent or parent with these conditions could be rather challenging as they have special care needs. Trying to meet up with the care of these loved ones with a degenerative nerve condition, alongside raising a family, could be difficult, as is the case of other 10 million Americans today.

With the emergence and growing popularity/acceptability of home care services in the Bay Area, it’s easier to get rid of the burdens of catering for these loved ones and challenges.

What are Degenerative Nerve Diseases?

These are diseases that have an impact on the activities of the body. They could affect balance, speech, breathing, and function of the heart. Most of these are genetic, and they can sometimes be caused by other conditions like stroke, tumors, or alcoholism. Other times, the cause is not known.

Common examples of these diseases include

- Alzheimer’s disease

- Lewy Body disease

- Parkinson's disease

- Friedreich Ataxia

- Spinal Muscular Atrophy

These diseases could be life-threatening, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common faced by many people today. We will cover this in more detail below.

The Most Popular Degenerative Disease

Alzheimer's is defined as a progressive neurologic disorder where the brain begins to shrink, and the cells die off. It is the most common cause of dementia – in which there's a continuous decline in behavioral, cognitive, and social skills.

Alzheimer's is known to affect a person's ability to function independently.

Many people living with dementia worldwide (between 60-70%) have Alzheimer's disease. Early signs of this disease include forgetting recent conversations or events. It could lead to severe memory impairment with a loss of ability to perform daily tasks.

Certain drugs temporarily slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and these treatments sometimes help people maintain independence for a certain period. Different programs could help support individuals living with Alzheimer's.

Most times, families tend to assume the responsibility of caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's; others tend to keep them in the care of health facilities/institutions. In all cases, these people have special needs and will benefit from quality Alzheimer’s care in Bay Area.

When Should You Get Professional Help For Patients with Degenerative Diseases?

These five behaviors prove that it’s time to get professional help for patients with Degenerative conditions:

- Physical health decline

- Incontinence

- Behavior changes

- Confusion and disorientation that may cause harm

- Caregiver’s deterioration

Physical Health Decline

The first notable changes in people with degenerative nerve diseases are usually physical. For instance, when people start to lose weight, with a history suggestive of dementia, it could mean that they've forgotten to shop for groceries. They may have even forgotten to take their medications as prescribed or may overdose on them.

Incontinence

There's about enough that family caregivers can handle, and when incontinence begins, it poses a real issue. At this point, most people start to seek facilities with professional non-medical staffing in Bay Area to help with this.

Behavior Changes

People with degenerative nerve diseases may often start to exhibit some behavior changes. For instance, those who usually were independent may begin to get scared to drive or turn down social invitations. Others who used to be cautious of how they looked may suddenly forget to observe basic hygiene and do basic tasks like hair styling and bathing. They may also be too shy to ask for help, become agitated, or become more anxious. This is particularly the case for individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s.

Harmful Confusion and Disorientation

Some patients with degenerative nerve diseases are prone to accidents and injuries due to disorientation and confusion. For example, since a person with dementia has forgotten the road rules, he may dash through traffic lights. Some wander on foot and don't know how to get their way back home. When this happens repeatedly, it's time to contact a home care service provider with professional health care staffing in Bay Area.

Caregiver’s Deterioration

Some people with degenerative nerve diseases receive care from relatives. When a caregiver’s health deteriorates, it’s best to give more attention to Alzheimer’s patients with home healthcare. It’s been observed that the quality of life of caregivers directly affects the quality of life of people living with degenerative nerve diseases.

Top 5 Benefits of Home Care for Patients with Degenerative Nerve Diseases

Here are the top six benefits of home care services in the Bay Area for people with degenerative nerve diseases:

Safe Environment

Having a safe environment is essential for the recovery of patients with degenerative nerve diseases. They need to be nursed in a clean and safe, clean and familiar environment. Making the home environment relatively conducive for healing could be a lot to handle. Having home care services takes care of this aspect of patient management.

Monitoring Symptoms

Home care services aim to reduce the number of preventable hospital readmissions for patients with degenerative nerve diseases. With dementia comes difficulty performing daily tasks and living becomes more tasking. But with home care services, symptoms can be regularly monitored, check-ins performed routinely, and proper communication done to reduce hospital readmissions.

Palliative Treatment

Treatment for degenerative nerve diseases is based mainly on symptoms as there is no permanent cure. However, there are available medications to manage the behavioral symptoms of dementia. Home care services in the Bay Area can ensure patients get their medications while monitoring for any decline in health.

Diet

Maintaining good eating habits is vital for patients with degenerative nerve diseases; they often forget to ensure healthy eating. Home health care can also assist with the planning and preparation of meals. Eating healthy prevents weight-related problems and boosts immunity.

Physical Therapy

At every stage in life, daily activities remain important; individuals living with degenerative nerve diseases are no exception. With poor mobility comes some health issues like pneumonia, etc. But with home care, these patients can now benefit from physician-approved activities and exercises under professional supervision.

Wrap Up

Degenerative nerve diseases like Alzheimer’s are progressive diseases common in the elderly, which comes with changes in behavior and memory. Ultimately, the patient in question determines the time to get home healthcare. With these services, the general well-being and state of these patients have been noted to significantly improve.