Here's what helped us <3

Hi everyone. We recently lost my Dad after many years with Alzheimers. I wanted to share what helped us, in case it can help someone else!

1. Check to see if in home hospice care is available to your loved one - it might be available sooner than you think.

The criteria for in home hospice care are kind of complicated. In our case, my dad qualified because he had a specific combination of symptoms. But hospice care doesn't necessarily mean that your loved one is on their death bed, but that they've lost the ability to do certain things in the progression of what is, eventually, a terminal illness. Hospice care can help with toileting, dressing, bathing, and figuring out appropriate medication dosage.
"Patients are often brought onto hospice services [months after] they were eligible."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538196/

Talk with your doctor about eligibility as your loved one's symptoms change.

2. Zinnia TV

My dad suffered from hallucinations in the last year of his life. If the TV news was on, he found it very distressing, and he would often talk about figures he saw on TV for days or weeks on end. We stopped playing the news around him and got a subscription to Zinnia TV. It was calming for him —- and for me, too.

3. If your loved one likes animals, arrange for visits.

My dad loved animals. I was able to bring my dog to visit him once a week and even long after he lost the ability to recognize me, he would light up at the sight of my little pup, even temporarily releasing him from his hallucinations.

I hope these suggestions help someone out there! If you have other suggestions for things that have helped you, please comment 😁