GEHIRN

Care of Alzheimer's patients by qualified personnel

The Alzheimer patient, as a dependent person, needs help in daily life. At an advanced stage of the disease, various disorders, particularly psycho-behavioural or memory disorders, take hold. Relatives often find themselves confused and uncertain in the face of this situation. The relationship with the patient may become conflictual in the long run and the use of a third party may prove indispensable. This is the main reason why home help services are required for the care of Alzheimer's patients.

The different kinds of help that can be given to Alzheimer's patients

The aim of the assistance provided to the patient is to restore or preserve his or her autonomy. In this way, he can continue to live in his home, that place which is familiar to him and where he has his own bearings. For better care of Alzheimer's patients, it is important to determine the various aids they need.

Home helpers

Home help services may relate to housekeeping, laundry and ironing. Help getting up and going to bed may be required. The caregiver may take care of errands, meal preparation and toileting. He/she can accompany the patient on walks, supervise the taking of medicines and manage money. These are the tasks required to care for Alzheimer's patients.

Home care

Usually, care is provided to the patient by personnel qualified to take good care of the Alzheimer's patient. This person may be a carer or a nurse. These various types of care are :

If necessary, the following health professionals may be involved:

Financial aid

As a long-term illness, Alzheimer's disease is covered 100% by the health insurance fund. The degree of independence of the patient and his or her income are taken into account in the allocation of aid. Dependent elderly people over 60 years of age are eligible for the personalised independence allowance or APA. This is another form of care for Alzheimer's patients. The condition is that they have difficulty in carrying out the small daily tasks. The APA will be used to pay for personal services, in particular :

Otherwise, the Alzheimer's patient may be eligible for APL (Allocation Logement or Personalised Housing Assistance), a disability card granting certain privileges, and tax benefits.

Understanding the daily life of Alzheimer's patients

Alzheimer's disease promotes the destruction of vital brain cells. Memory loss is the first sign of this disease in the elderly. Older people can forget important events and dates or the recent past. This is why it is crucial to ensure that they remain in a familiar environment. Caring for Alzheimer's patients means providing them with a place where they feel safe and secure. The rooms in the home should be arranged accordingly. Anything that may be detrimental to his or her well-being will be banned from the room, i.e. radios, TVs and anything that makes noise. Clocks and calendars, which allow him to find his way through time, will be displayed for him to read. The area must be clear to allow him to move around without being hindered. In short, everything superfluous must be kept clear.

Specialised Alzheimer's staff to take care of the patient

Given the state of health of Alzheimer's patients, a carer or relative is not enough to take care of them. In some cases, the use of professionals is required for the care of Alzheimer's patients. These professionals have been specially trained to care for Alzheimer's patients. They may be :

At a severe stage of Alzheimer's disease, the patient's condition requires institutionalisation. The care of the Alzheimer's patient will be much easier. Indeed, this stage results in a severe loss of memory, the alteration of the ability to memorise. Language, both written and oral, will suffer real deterioration to the point of aphasia. Sometimes the patient may not even understand what is being said to him or her. He may fall down frequently, since moving around will require a lot of effort. This phase of the illness lasts 2 to 4 years. For all these reasons, professional assistance is more than necessary.