Resources for caregivers | Take My Hand At Home

Should I take my parent out of assisted living during COVID-19?

September 1, 2020 By Take My Hand

Assisted living can be a wonderful way to ensure that loved ones get the care they need as they age.

Many assisted living and skilled nursing centers offer a robust level of care while also doing what they can to ensure that those who live there are able to retain some independence and live life as “normally” as possible.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically altered how assisted living facilities can operate. State and federal guidelines regarding the management of care centers have severely restricted visits with family members and even hampered how much residents can see and talk with each other within the facilities.

In fact, these restrictions have led many families to think about removing their mom or dad from long-term care to help ensure that loved ones aren’t isolated and lonely while they wait out the pandemic.

Is removing a loved one from assisted living during COVID-19 something you have been considering? Or maybe you’ve been thinking about placing mom or dad in assisted living, but during the pandemic you’re not certain it’s a good idea?

Here are a few questions you might want to ponder:

If you take a loved one out of long-term care, how will he or she receive the necessary care? Regular visits from an at-home care provider could be one way to ensure that your loved one’s daily needs are met during COVID-19. Or perhaps you will be providing the care yourself. Either way, you’ll want to have a plan in place before you decide to move mom or dad — and one that includes where your loved one will stay.
Are you worried about your loved one’s state of mind? Loneliness can have drastically negative consequences for older adults. If you fear that your loved one spends too much time alone due to COVID-19 restrictions, bringing them home — where kids and grandkids can pop by any time for a socially distanced visit — might be a good choice.
What are your long-term care facility’s policies? If your loved one is currently in assisted living, check to find out what policies and procedures are currently in place regarding visitation, infection prevention and other issues. This article from NextAvenue includes other great questions to ask a current or prospective long-term care facility.
Do you have a long-term lease set up? If you’re locked into an agreement of any kind, you’ll want to think about the potential costs of leaving early. You’ll also want to consider whether your loved one can be readmitted to the assisted living facility down the road.
What will you do when the pandemic is behind us? When COVID-19 has run its course, or when governments allow the return of some of the freedoms of yesteryear, will your loved one continue to live at home? Will you need to line up a long-term home or apply for admission to assisted living? Will you continue to make use of at-home care to provide for your loved one in the comfort of home?

The pandemic and its related lockdowns haven’t had nearly the effects on at-home care that they’ve had on assisted living centers. Here at Take My Hand At-Home Care in Lynden, we certainly are being cautious to avoid spreading COVID-19, but we’re generally able to continue as before, caring for people in their homes and helping them conduct essential duties throughout Whatcom County. Government restrictions on health care facility operations, on the other hand, have forced larger changes.

Are those changes big enough to cause you to consider caring for a parent or loved one at home? The choice is yours, and we hope this post has given you a few good considerations to ponder.

How to visit loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic

August 7, 2020 By Take My Hand

It’s natural to want to visit our elderly loved ones. We do love them, after all, and thus we want to spend time with them. Plus, we know that loneliness and social isolation are unhealthy for older adults, so we want to ensure our elderly moms and dads aren’t neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the disease does more strongly affect older adults. While the overall hospitalization rate for COVID-19 is quite low (121 people per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the rate is nearly triple for people 65 and older. Thus, we want to do what we can to ensure that our elderly loved ones aren’t affected.

In an era of physical distancing, mask wearing and constant sanitization, how can we spend time with loved ones while also helping to ensure their health and safety?

It’s possible to visit elderly loved ones here in Whatcom County, but it takes a little extra caution and care. Below are a few essential ways to show care for your mom or dad while visiting.

Remember that the virus can be spread by people without symptoms. Even if you feel perfectly fine, it’s possible that you’re infected with the novel coronavirus and thus can spread it to an elderly loved one. Think about where you’ve been recently and what interactions you might have had through which you could have picked up the virus. It’s probably best not to visit mom or dad if you’ve been all over the place out and about.

Wear a mask. Feel free to smile and wave without a mask from a safe distance away, but if you’re going to be having a conversation close to your loved one, it would be a good idea for both of you to mask up and play it safe. Person-to-person spread via respiratory droplets is thought to be the primary way that the virus spreads.

Meet outside. Given how the virus spreads, the likelihood of the virus spreading outdoors is much lower than it is inside, according to research. If you have the opportunity to visit on the porch, in the yard or in a public park, take it. The weather is beautiful in the Pacific Northwest this time of year, so it’s a great time to spend time outside chatting or playing a brain-boosting game with your loved ones.

Don’t stay too long. According to the CDC, the risk of spreading COVID-19 increases the more closely people interact with each other and the longer that interaction lasts. Planning what you want to talk about before you arrive at mom or dad’s house can be one good way to keep visits short. Breaking up visits over several days — a few minutes today, a few minutes tomorrow — can be another option (plus, spreading out your visits gives loved ones something to look forward to).

When visiting an elderly loved one in Lynden, Bellingham or elsewhere in Whatcom County, a few simple actions can help decrease the chances of spreading COVID-19.

Help! I have questions about caring for an aging parent.

May 6, 2020 By Take My Hand

As we’ve mentioned before in previous TMH Client Profiles, at Take My Hand At-Home Care we hear often from adults who are wondering when and how to decide that mom or dad needs a higher level of personal care and attention.

These certainly are not easy decisions to make, and every situation is different. But read on for an example situation that may include elements of what you’re going through. Perhaps it will help you make those important decisions.

Mom is still pretty active. She lives nearby, so sometimes I accompany her to doctor visits in Bellingham or take her shopping, but she typically can do those things just fine on her own.

The other day, when we were working in her garden, she mentioned that she loves her home — she’s lived in the same home in Lynden for 50 years, after all — and doesn’t want to leave. When she eventually needs care, she said, she wants to stay at home. She doesn’t want to be moved to a long-term care center or assisted living facility; she’d rather just stay right at home.

The problem is that I’m not able to spend the time caring for her that probably would be required. I have a family of my own to care for, and I have to go to work every day, too. How can I meet mom’s desires to stay home while also being sure that she’s taken care of? Sometimes it keeps me up at night.

This is a common concern. Adults in the sandwich generation — those who are sandwiched between caring for aging parents and caring for their own young children — often find themselves having to make difficult decisions about how to spend their time and money. Do I sacrifice my family time to spend evenings and weekends caring for mom? Do I dip into our family savings to pay for upgrades to mom’s home so she can age in place? How do I even know when mom is ready for extra assistance around the home?

No single solution is a perfect fit for every family here in Whatcom County. However, there are some good options for adult children in situations like this to consider:

Set up a consultation with a home care provider to discuss your situation. A trained provider with experience in at-home care situations can take a look at your loved one’s situations and offer personalized advice. Take My Hand offers complimentary in-home assessments for folks in Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County.
Ask an at-home care provider for part-time shifts to cover basic needs. This would help your mom or dad get used to the idea of having people other than family members in the home. Plus, part-time home care would help set a baseline for the care needed. At-home care situations can be new for everyone, and starting off slowly is often a good idea.
Caregivers like us are fond of saying that the best caregivers are those who are able to care for themselves and meet their own needs. Honestly, that’s critically important. If you, as a family caregiver, are constantly giving and never receiving, you’re going to run your own batteries so low that you won’t be able to help anyone. Please know that your family — spouse, kids, yourself — needs and deserves your attention, so don’t feel guilty if you can’t be with your aging parent as much as they might like.
Independence and self-sufficiency are good things for older adults. We try to keep them from becoming reliant on outside help too early; if they can do something for themselves, let them and encourage them! Of course, pay close attention to signs that they might need extra help — increasing bouts of forgetfulness, difficulty getting around, declining eyesight, lack of ability to process and understand doctors’ orders, etc. — and step in when necessary, but don’t feel obligated to help just because your parents are getting older.
Now is a great time to start considering payment options for long-term care. You never know what you might need in the future, and how much it might cost. Consider your family financial situation and the amount of money mom and dad have saved up and start investigating options that might work for you. Long-term care insurance can be a good choice, as can Medicare and private-pay options.

If you’d like to have a discussion about any of these aspects of eldercare in Whatcom County, please feel free to give us a call or send an email.

Providing care to elders at home during COVID-19

March 27, 2020 By Take My Hand

Dear clients, family members and loved ones,

During this time of distancing, we at Take My Hand At-Home Care wanted to let you know that you’re on our minds, even if we’re not able to see some of you in person right now.

We are still caring for our wonderful clients in their own homes, of course, and it’s to that end that we wanted to share important information about limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our vulnerable communities.

Everyone has a part to play in managing public health threats such as this one. Older populations are particularly at risk from this new coronavirus — and from many other viruses as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung or kidney disease appear to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.

That is why Take My Hand has outfitted all of our caregivers with gloves and masks to wear while they are providing care. We also are carefully monitoring staff for potential signs of illness and ensuring that those who are feeling sick are staying home.

When TMH representatives drop off supplies for clients and caregivers, we are leaving them at the door to minimize physical proximity.

Take My Hand caregivers continue to work as hard as possible to meet all client needs in light of the current healthcare crisis, which is affecting everyone not only here in Whatcom County but around the world.

We ask that you continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we fight the spread of this disease together. If you would like to help in other ways, too, we would appreciate donations of thermometers, gloves and masks. If you would like to make a donation, please reach out to us at 360-543-5777 or sue@takemyhandathome.com. Thank you so much!

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, here are some things you can do to connect with your loved ones even during times of physical isolation:

Conduct video chats. For those who are familiar with the technology, a face-to-face video chat via FaceTime, Hangouts or Facebook could be a wonderful way to stay connected. You could share a virtual meal, hold an online book club or play a game together. Think outside the box!
Make phone calls. Consider setting up a schedule in which various family members are assigned certain days or times to pick up the phone and call elderly loved ones. These moments can be precious personal times that everyone is able to look forward to.
Have packages delivered. During the current “stay at home” order in Washington state, online ordering is still an option. Consider having packages of gifts or home essentials delivered via Amazon or some other service.
Visit through the window. As long as you are observing social distancing guidelines, it’s still OK to go outside. Consider dropping by your loved one’s house and visiting through the window. Maybe tape a note or photo to the outside of a window for your loved one to read. Sing a treasured song or hymn, play a musical instrument, juggle… there are so many possibilities!

Thank you for trusting Take My Hand At-Home Care with your needs! It is an honor to serve you. We will get through this together if we all continue to do our part.

Help at home: An out-of-the-box gift idea that can make a difference

November 4, 2019 By Take My Hand

Approximately 85 percent of caregivers in the United States provide care for a family member or other loved one — mother, father, child, friend, grandparent — and spend, on average, between 24 and 40 hours per week at the task. And that’s often in addition to trying to hold down a job or take charge of other responsibilities.

It’s a lot of work.

Do you have a family caregiver? Or do you know someone (a husband or wife, maybe, or a devoted child) who provides care for an aging loved one in Whatcom County?

That caregiver needs recurring breaks.

The day that a family caregiver can take a break is the day he can go into Lynden for Bible study. It’s the day she can get her hair done at her favorite place in Ferndale. It’s the day he or she can head into Bellingham and knock out all of the shopping and errands for the next couple of weeks, relieving a giant stress.

The night that a family caregiver gets a break is the night he or she can finally get some sleep, free of the stress of worrying about caring for an elderly loved one.

This holiday season, consider the immense blessing that the gift of a day off can bring. Time away from the stress and pressures of work is an important part of self-care for family caregivers.

It’s not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout, stress, depression and high blood pressure. And the list certainly doesn’t stop there. Family caregivers do their work because they are committed to do it; they made a promise to the person they’re caring for, and they want that person — their husband or wife or mom or dad or brother or sister – to know they will be well cared for.

But commitment doesn’t make the work of caregiving easier. That doesn’t keep feelings of guilt, anger or resentment from occasionally toppling a caregiver’s sense of serenity or purpose. When a person is caring for a spouse, the relationship sometimes changes from experiencing shared joys and intimacy to taking care of someone in need of constant attention. Sometimes, that person has dementia, and the caregiver must bear the burden of watching their loved one slowly disappear.

That caregiver needs a break.

This Christmas, consider who in your life needs a day away from the burdens of caregiving. One eight-hour shift per week — or even every other week — could provide enormous relief for a family caregiver. Maybe this person is someone caring for you, or maybe it’s a sibling caring for your mom or dad. No matter who it is who could use temporary respite, the gift of regular caregiving assistance will continue to pay dividends all year long for Bellingham, Nooksack Valley, Ferndale and Lynden family caregivers.

Take My Hand At-Home Care provides a range of respite and caregiving services for individuals and families throughout Whatcom County — from 24-hour live-in care to part-time caregiving assistance a few days per month. These services allow people who need a preliminary form of assisted living to remain living at home, and they allow family caregivers the break they need to recharge.

When you’re healthy but your spouse isn’t, here’s how to cope

April 3, 2019 By Take My Hand

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 60 percent of Americans live with a chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke or diabetes.

Given those percentages, there inevitably are a great many “well spouses” who are caring for a sick person daily.

When you’re the spouse who isn’t ill, how do you cope with the challenges while protecting your own health? Providing care for a spouse can be difficult, but it can be done, and done well. Here are some actions that can help:

Get educated. Caring for a sick spouse starts with making sure you know what you can about your loved one’s disease. “Well spouses cope better when they, like their partners, have accurate, firsthand information about their mate’s condition, treatment and needs,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine. A good place to start is the Northwest Regional Council, which through its Family Caregiver Support Program has many educational resources available, including a collection of loanable library resources and informational booklets on Alzheimer’s and dementia, depression and caring for the caregiver.

Get help. You don’t need to do it alone. Providing loving, compassionate care for a spouse 24/7 takes a lot out of you. Take time for yourself to do the things you enjoy: walking the dog, shopping, reading a book, relaxing. “If someone wants to be there for their loved one, it’s not selfish to ask for help,” says Lynette Whiteman, who runs a caregiver volunteer agency, in a story from A Place for Mom about caregiver health. “By getting help, they’re helping their loved one.” Options for support include reaching out to Northwest Regional Council’s Family Caregiver Support Program or hiring occasional help to care for your loved one, such as the services w e provide here at Take My Hand At-Home Care. From half-day respite shifts to 24-hour care, we provide family caregivers the support they need.

Take comfort from others. Next Avenue conducted a series of interviews with adults whose spouses have a chronic illness, and the advice those people shared is tender, touching and helpful. Consider this, from a man who took care of his wife for a dozen years while she was in a wheelchair: “I am grateful for the time we had and the help I had from all of the health care professionals over those years. I learned from her and from them how very precious life is.” Next Avenue’s report, titled “When One Spouse Is Healthy and the Other Isn’t,” is worth a read. You also might check out a local support group for caregivers or an online forum (such as this one at Caregiver Action Network) where you can vent your frustrations, ask for advice and learn from the experience of others.

If you’re in Whatcom County and caring for a sick spouse or loved one and would like to learn more about the benefits of having part-time care in the home, please reach out to us at Take My Hand At-Home Care here in Lynden. We provide support all over the region, from Blaine to Bellingham, and we’d love to talk about your needs.

Is your mom or dad ready for care? A TMH client profile

March 6, 2019 By Take My Hand

We often hear from concerned sons and daughters that their parents might be ready for some at-home assistance, but they’re not sure. Sometimes the kids are hesitant to suggest the idea to parents, and sometimes parents aren’t keen on accepting care.

It can be hard to know when is the right time to suggest care. To offer some assistance, consider this sample profile of a TMH client. Not every client will look like this, certainly, but this is one good example of the type of people who can benefit from at-home care.

Mom and dad are both in their 80s, living in a small, one-floor home in Birch Bay. They have two children, but neither lives close enough to provide regular assistance. The daughter lives in Seattle, and the son lives in Sedro-Woolley. Both of them are married with children, and their days are full and busy.

Dad still drives, which has been helpful for making the extra doctor’s appointments lately that have arisen from mom’s advancing dementia. He has gotten into a couple minor fender-benders in the last couple of months, though, and that’s beginning to be a worrisome trend. Some family members have questioned whether dad should still be driving. He already has stopped driving at night, because it can be so hard to see, and that has placed a few limitations on he and mom. For example, they don’t go out to bingo nights or dance events at the senior center any more, and those used to be beloved hobbies.

Even without going to dances, the couple is still pretty active. They try to walk every day. Dad had a fall last week, though — slipped on a stray magazine in the living room — and that left him with some painful bruises on his right hip. Nothing is broken, thankfully, but the experience reminded him that getting around isn’t as easy as it used to be.

There’s a small grocery store about four blocks from their house, but they’re not walking there as much anymore, and even less so with dad’s fall. They could probably use a few groceries to stock up the fridge and pantry.

This couple is the perfect candidate for two or three half-day shifts per week. They’re pretty active and healthy, and they’re far from needing 24-hour care. However, they would really benefit from assistance getting to the doctor’s office and help with the weekly grocery shopping. They could use someone to tidy up the house once a week and ensure that everything is in its proper place. They could also use some help communicating with doctors and ensuring that medicines are taken on time, and it would be good to have someone around to monitor mom. (Her dementia isn’t far along, but it would be good to have someone checking in on her now and again and looking at how it’s affecting dad, too.)

The 12-hour shifts would take a lot of pressure off of dad and would allow the couple to relax a bit, worrying less about the details and spending more time enjoying each other’s company.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, perhaps your mom or dad — or someone else in your life — could benefit from having a licensed caregiver helping out on half-day shifts. Just give us a call and we can talk about your options.

Important documents to set up with an elderly loved one

January 9, 2019 By Take My Hand

As our loved ones advance in age or dementia, it becomes increasingly important to establish procedures that will make dealing with health or medical issues much easier in the future.

A person in a blue Oxford shirt signs a document. — There are four types of documents to consider creating for aging parents, grandparents and other loved ones: advance directives, physician orders for life-sustaining treatment, standard wills and living trusts.

In particular, there are four types of documents to consider creating for aging parents, grandparents and other loved ones: advance directives, physician orders for life-sustaining treatment, standard wills and living trusts.

Advance Directive: An advance directive is a legal document that provides guidance about what types of treatments your loved one may want to receive in the event of a medical emergency, and who they would like to make decisions on their behalf regarding medical treatment. This person is called a surrogate.

NOTE: Depending on where your loved one lives, an advance directive might instead be called a living will, health care power of attorney or something else.

Every adult should have an advance directive in place so that if something happens, the surrogate can ensure that the patient’s wishes are respected and carried out.

In Washington state, care providers like Take My Hand At-Home Care are required to ask whether patients have an advance directive.

NOTE: As with the rest of the documents on this list, it’s important to put an advance directive in a place where it can easily be found. Make sure your surrogate knows where it is, and have it added to your medical record, if possible.

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment: This is another document we’re required to ask about at Take My Hand At-Home Care. Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) forms are specific to each individual. In the event that your loved one has a medical emergency, this form describes the specific medical treatments he or she would like to receive. While all adults should have an advance directive, a POLST form only becomes necessary upon diagnosis of a serious illness or when health begins to deteriorate near the end of life.

NOTE: While an advance directive is a legal document, a POLST is a medical order. Only an advance directive can legally designate a surrogate to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a loved one.

A will sets out instructions for how assets should be distributed in the event of death.

Standard will: A will sets out instructions for how your parents or grandparents would like their assets distributed in the event of death. The will also designates the person who will be in charge of that. It’s a good idea to establish a will as soon as possible and then to review it once a year to ensure that it’s an accurate reflection of your loved one’s wishes. When a person dies with a will in place, the person’s estate goes through probate court to, among other things, determine the will’s validity, total up the assets and distribute those assets according to the will’s instructions. Without a will in place, that process gets a lot more complicated.

Living trust: A living trust places a person’s assets into a separate entity that allows for the avoidance of probate court. It explains who will manage that entity upon your loved one’s death and who will distribute its assets — and to whom and how much. A living trust can be more expensive to prepare than a standard will, but it can save the costs associated with probate court.

If you have any questions about what documents might be necessary in your family’s case, consult an attorney who specializes in elder law. There are a number of options in Bellingham, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County for lawyers who specialize in situations regarding the elderly.

Activities to support brain health and memory in seniors

December 5, 2018 By Take My Hand

Stimulating social and mental activities can help keep brains sharp, improve memory and help with daily life skills. They can also be an enjoyable and fun way to spend time with the beloved elders in your life.

Two older men play a game of chess at an outdoor table. The following seven activities can help support brain health and memory while providing companionship, conversation and pure simple fun:

My father works in the grocery store. This is a delightful guessing game that works for two players or a group. The first person thinks of an item sold in a grocery store and says, “My father works in the grocery store and the product he sells begins with the letter P.” (This letter is the first letter of whatever the product is. In this case the answer is pomegranate.) The other player(s) ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, such as: Is it in the produce section? Is it edible? Is it green? The game continues with questions leading to guesses of what the product is until someone gets the right answer. Then the winner thinks of the next item and the game begins again.
Shopping list game. In this memory game one person begins with, “I went to the store and bought some fish.” The next person repeats the line and continues by adding an item, “I went to the store and bought some fish and some rice.” With each turn the list grows and the game continues until no one can remember all of the items. Everyone may experience some good laughs with this game.
Name two words for each letter in your first name. A simple version is to come up with any two words, or the focus can change to qualities, or objects.
For example: MARY
Marvelous, merciful
Artistic, adventurous
You get the idea. This can be creative and loads of fun.
Trivia games. Choose topics that are of special interest to your elder such as music, art, history, sports or geography. Trivia games are wonderfully stimulating to the minds of older people.
Learn a new language together and practice using the newly learned words. You can keep it simple with just a few words or phrases such as “Hello,” “Good evening,” “How are you?” in French or Spanish or any language of interest. Enjoy using these words and phrases in simple conversation, then learn more as it feels comfortable and manageable.
Jigsaw puzzles can be stimulating to the mind and also provide a calm and comforting companionship as you work on them together. This activity can help quiet the mind, which may be especially helpful for seniors with busy minds.
Try the serving tray game to enhance short term memory. This game is great for visual folks. Place a selection of different objects from around the house on a tray. Let those who are playing have a look, then cover up the objects with a cloth. Then ask the seniors playing to recall what items they remember.

There are many possibilities for games to play with elders that may also have beneficial results. Some that are more familiar include bingo, chess, card games, Sudoku, logic puzzles, online interactive games, and also arts and crafts projects. Find out what your loved one enjoys and build from there.

The National Institute on Aging offers a helpful article on Cognitive Health and Older Adults. It gives tips on the following steps that help elders with day-to-day functioning and independence. These steps have been linked to cognitive health, as well.

Take care of your health
Eat healthy foods
Be physically active
Keep your mind active
Stay connected

Engaging companionship with someone who cares can provide many benefits for elders. To learn more about home companion services by licensed caregivers, contact Take My Hand At-Home Care, which provides elder care for senior citizens in the following communities: Lynden, Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas and Birch Bay.

Tips for managing sundown syndrome

November 7, 2018 By Take My Hand

Late afternoon and early evening can be an especially challenging time for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The confusion, restlessness, and irritability that can occur at this time of day is known as sundown syndrome. It can continue into the night, making it difficult for your dad to fall asleep and stay in bed, which is hard on him and on his wife or family caregiver.

If you’ve noticed your parent or spouse is experiencing symptoms of declining memory, it’s important to be with them in the late afternoon and early evening to see if they are having sundowner symptoms, are increasingly agitated, suspicious and even pacing and yelling. They may need some additional care, someone to be with them to help during that difficult time.

Tips to help manage sundowning

During the day:

Provide a regular routine, with activities and appointments earlier in the day.
Daily exercise also can be helpful, along with time outside or by a window in bright daylight.
If your loved one needs a nap, make sure that it’s not too long and that it ends at least four hours before bedtime.

In the late afternoon and evenings:

Stay calm and reassure your dad that everything is okay. Ask if he needs anything.
Keep the area quiet and pleasant, with soothing music, and make sure the temperature is comfortable.
Try reading, playing cards or going for a walk.
Turn on lights and close the curtains or blinds to avoid shadows and the confusion they may cause.
Make sure living areas are safe, with locks on doors and windows and with dangerous items such as kitchen utensils put away.

Closing the blinds near sunset can help mitigate confusion caused by long shadows.

All of us feel better and can function more easily when we sleep well. Helping your loved one avoid caffeine and alcohol, sweets, and a large meal late in the day can help with getting a good night’s sleep.

The National Institute on Aging recommends seeking medical advice if sundowning continues to be a problem. An exam by a doctor may identify a cause contributing to sundowning, such as pain, illness, a medication side effect or a sleep disorder.

Hope for the future — finding effective treatments and searching for a cure

The Alzheimer’s Association is a valuable resource for up-to-date information. Their website confirms, “Researchers are conducting studies to find new interventions and treatments that can prevent Alzheimer’s, diagnose the disease earlier, slow its progression or stop it in its tracks.”

If you or your loved one needs information, advice and support from trained and knowledgeable staff, you can call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

Here in Whatcom County, Take My Hand At-Home Care’s licensed caregivers provide memory care services that help seniors live in the comfort of their own homes in Lynden, Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and Birch Bay.