To follow is a checklist of the main priorities that need to be addressed when beginning to care for someone with Alzheimer’s:
- Legal and financial
- Power of attorney;
- Health care proxy;
- Will (a will cannot be changed when someone is deemed “not of sound mind”);
- How are we going to pay for long-term care at home or in a facility – or both?;
- How do we protect our loved one from scammers? theft?;
- Tax filing and bill paying.
- Home and personal safety
- Tripping hazards, slipping issues in bathroom (the tub shower combo gets hard to negotiate);
- Any issues with leaving the stove on;
- Any issues leaving the house and getting lost;
- Driving. Just the worst worry and conversation to have. It can be really hard to find caregivers who drive.
- Health and well-being
- Medication management – what is prescribed; are meds being taken regularly and as prescribed (especially complicated when medications are scheduled for multiple times per day); do all the pills look different enough from each other to be able to distinguish them; how are prescriptions filled and delivered?; how to we ensure medication is taken but not an overdose?;
- Doctor and dentist appointments, coordinating care and communication between different practitioners, reporting changes and side effects from medications;
- Who are insurers and what do they cover (add supplemental health care if needed);
- Monitor emotional health, mood, behavior and sleep changes, hygiene of loved one;
- House cleaning and laundry.
- Day to day care coordination needs
- Structure the day to be more predictable; reduce social commitments to only those that are the most essential or important, though it’s also important to remain social – lunches and day trips, friends, all ideally with transportation provided;
- Place clocks with large numbers and the date around home to assist with orientation to date and time;
- Develop a master calendar that can be shared with family and friends to support in keeping track;
- Meal planning and grocery shopping;
- As a caregiver, take good care of yourself. Be compassionate. This is a long road and it is hard.
Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First 