When some people age, they find themselves with more memory and cognitive struggles than others their same age. While many may worry that it’s the onset of dementia, if your loved one’s doctor has ruled out dementia, he may have Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
While there isn’t a specific cause as to why some people struggle more with cognitive abilities as they age, having diabetes, depression or a stroke can all lead to MCI. And while the symptoms may be similar to dementia, the main difference is that those with MCI usually do not struggle with behavior or personality changes. They can still take care of themselves and do most daily activities.
The main symptoms of Mild Cognitive Impairment include the following:
- Forgetting appointments or events that they have on their schedule and are well aware of
- Forgetting to complete tasks
- Losing items repeatedly
- Struggling to find the right words more often than others of a similar age
For the most part, those with MCI can care for themselves, but might often find themselves frustrated with some of the struggles they are trying to manage each day. To help your loved one reduce his daily frustrations, you can help him set up some tips and tricks to reduce the amount of time spent trying to correct a mistake or solve an issue.
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Use a calendar that provides multiple reminders. One of the best things about the calendars on our phones or our laptops is that we can set them up with multiple alerts. You can have your loved one reminded the day before, an hour before, and five minutes before the event.
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Have someone else manage their calendar. Part of getting the alerts on the calendar means putting the event in the calendar and creating the events. It might work better for your loved one if someone like a 24-hour home care team manages his events and makes sure he gets to where he needs to go when the time arrives.
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Have a place for everything. Clutter is not a friend to someone with MCI. If forgetting where he placed the keys or TV remote is frustrating, create a place where they should always go if not immediately in his hand. Making them highly visible (like a hook on the wall) can help as well.
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Attach remote trackers. If there is something your loved one repeatedly misplaces, you might consider buying a small tracking unit that your loved one can call for from his phone if he loses it.
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While it’s not a big deal if your loved one forgets to make the bed, if he forgets to turn off the stove, that might be more problematic. A 24-hour home care team can help ensure he doesn’t put himself in danger by forgetting to snuff out a candle. His 24-hour home team will routinely monitor the home for any issues.
Your loved one should have annual visits to his doctor to monitor his MCI so that if it gets worse, it can be reevaluated.
If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-Hour Home Care in Lafayette, LA please contact the caring staff at BrightCare Homecare today. Call (337) 279-5466
BrightCare Homecare is a top provider of home care services in Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, Opelousas, Sunset, Crowley, Abbeville, Scott, Cecilia, Port Barre, Iota, and the surrounding areas.
Through a personalized care plan, BrightCare Homecare provides the necessary services and care to cater to your unique personal and health needs. With us, we ensure around-the-clock services and supervision to help achieve optimum health and wellness.
We are a top provider of home care services in Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, Opelousas, Sunset, Crowley, Abbeville, Scott, Cecilia, Port Barre, Iota, and the surrounding areas.
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