Aging with RAZ

You need a backup caregiver

There is always the possibility an unexpected event will occur preventing you from returning home in a timely manner: bad traffic, delayed public transportation, the weather, or a car accident.
Who can help you if you are trapped somewhere and can’t get home in time?

Ask a trusted family member, friend or even a hired caregiver if they would be willing to be your emergency backup to pick up your loved one from an adult daycare center and/or stay with your loved one until you reach home. Make sure they have a way to access your home if necessary.

Your backup person shouldn’t have to guess, create a list of your loved one’s schedule that includes the following:
➡️ The time they get up from bed and morning routine
➡️ What they eat and drink for breakfast
➡️ Toileting schedule
➡️ What medications they take: when they take them, how they take them, where the medications are stored
➡️ Your loved one’s daily activities including art projects, hobbies, napping, and exercise
➡️ What time they eat lunch and favorite foods
➡️ Any afternoon activities and suggestions for coping with Sundowning
➡️ What time they eat dinner and their favorite foods
➡️ Their after-dinner routine
➡️ What time do they go to bed, what do they wear to bed and what grooming do they do before they go to bed. Example: wears pink pajamas, brown wool gloves, and pink bunny slippers, and needs help brushing teeth, toileting, and combing hair, sleeps with their teddy bear named Joy
➡️ If your loved one wanders the halls at night, include that on the schedule
➡️ List any actions on the caregiver’s part that may cause agitation or aggression in your loved one and how to avoid it or deescalate it

The more your backup knows, the better the outcome for everyone.

@tracycramperkins — author of Dementia Home Care, How to Prepare Before, During, and After.