Austin Elder Law Attorney Advises Home Safety when living with Alzheimer’s - Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law - (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

Keeping Austin Elders with Alzheimer’s Safe at Home –

As Alzheimer’s progresses, vision changes and patients may not be able to distinguish colors or be able to understand what they are seeing.  To ensure the maximum amount of visibility for your loved one, diffuse glare and bright lights by removing any mirrors or furniture with glass tops from the home.  Put shades or blinds on the windows and add extra lighting to entryways, stairways, bathrooms and hallways.  At night, place nightlights throughout the home to ensure they can see if they need to get up and use the bathroom. 

Daily activities that were once familiar may become more difficult for your loved one to do safely.  Keep an eye on the temperature of his or her food and drink because they may not be able to distinguish the difference themselves.  Install walk-in showers and grab bars in the bathroom to allow them to move around safely and independently.  If you have rugs resting on wooden, linoleum or tiled floors, make sure they’re kept in place with adhesive to prevent falls. 

Because a person with Alzheimer’s may not always be able to tell the difference between fresh and rotten food, clean out your refrigerator on a regular basis so they don’t eat something that will make them sick.  Remove the knobs from your kitchen stove burners to prevent fires and eliminate all electrical appliances from your bathroom to reduce the risk of electrical shock.  Though these precautions may seem unnecessary and extreme, keep in mind that an individual with Alzheimer’s can forget why certain things shouldn’t be done and what is considered dangerous.

Austin Elder Law Attorney Advises Home Safety when living with Alzheimer’s - Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law – (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

Keeping The Home Of An Alzheimer’s Patient Safe –

When caring for an individual suffering from Alzheimer’s, it’s important to make sure they’re in a safe and supportive environment where their needs are met and the chance of injury is low.  Creating a home that meets their needs will not only make their lives easier, but yours as well.

People with Alzheimer’s often engage in wandering behavior so limit their access to the outdoors and dangerous areas inside the home.  Cover doors and locks with cloth or paint to disguise them and install deadbolts high or low on exterior doors to make it difficult for your loved one to wander outside. 

Remove locks in bathrooms and bedrooms to ensure that he or she does not lock themselves inside where you have no access to them.  To protect your loved one from dangerous appliances and household cleaners, install child-proof locks and door knob covers.

Elder Law Attorney in Austin offers legal help & life care planning for those living with Alzheimer’s Disease.  Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law – (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

Administering medications to a person with Alzheimer’s can be difficult because they are often confused and suspicious of what kind of drugs you’re giving them. Be direct and help them understand exactly what kind of medication he or she is taking and tell them what it is for.  Develop a routine and give medications the same way at the same times each day to help reduce conflicts.  If your loved one refuses to take their medication, do not force them to, but offer it to them at another time. 

Never assume that your loved one has taken a medication on their own.  You may need to check and make sure that they swallowed a pill instead of hiding it beneath their tongue to spit out when you leave.  To ensure your loved one receives all of his or her medications, stay organized and utilize a pill container that has separate compartments for each day.  Keep a list of the medications you give them and check each one off after you’re sure your loved one has taken it. 

If your loved one has difficulty swallowing pills or tends to spit them out, talk to their doctor about administering the medication in a different way.  Try cutting them in half, crushing them into piece and mixing them with food.  Be prepared for all situations and make sure the numbers for your loved ones physician, the emergency room and your local poison control center are handy.  Administering medications is a large responsibility and should be handled seriously and with the utmost care.

Preparing The Legal Documents Of A Loved One with Alzheimer’s –- Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law – (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

Handling A Loved Ones Medications –

To help ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, doctors prescribe several medications to manage the disease as well as depression, sleeplessness or other conditions, like diabetes.  It’s essential that a caregiver become educated on the medications that their loved one is taking to avoid overmedicating or poor reactions.  Knowing how to administer the medications and being familiar with their side effects could make both you and your loved ones lives a lot easier.

Seek medical advice on all of the medications you’re giving to your loved ones, whether it’s an over-the-counter or prescription drug.  Ask your doctor to review each medication to make sure that the drugs won’t have a bad effect on one another.  Inform each of your loved ones doctors about all the medications they’re taking and report any serious side effects to each physician.  Familiarize yourself with all aspects of each medication from the name, purpose, dosage and frequency to all possible side effects.

Even if you are medically trained, never change the dosage of your loved ones medication without consulting their physician.  Don’t share medications with other caregivers of people with similar diseases and throw away all old prescription bottles.  In case of a medical emergency, keep written records of all of your loved ones current medications in your wallet or purse at all times.  Make sure the records detail the name of the medication, when they started taking it and what their dosage is.

Elder Law Attorney in Austin – Helping families prepare for Home Care in Austin.  Willie Elder Law – Call Brian Willie at  (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

When a person can still make his or her own decisions, they often set up a living trust.  To make sure the properties of the trust are protected, they can appoint a trustee, usually a close family member, friend or bank, to help invest and manage their assets. 

A will, which a person a may have already set up before he or she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, is a document that lists whom the person has chosen as the executor and beneficiaries.  The executor, normally a lawyer, is responsible for managing their estate while the beneficiaries, friends and family members, will receive the estate after he or she passes away. 

Taking the necessary legal steps to protect a person with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming and sometimes emotional, but they are necessary to ensure that your loved ones wishes are carried out in full.

End of Life Decisions for Loved One with Alzheimer’s –- Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law – (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

It’s important to an individual with Alzheimer’s that his or her family members do not argue with their decision or associate the choice to not receive treatments or be revised as assisted suicide.  Keep in mind that an Alzheimer’s patient reaching the end of his or her life is likely to be in the very advanced stages of the disease and therefore incredibly confused and uncomfortable.  For someone in this state, aggressive medical treatment could feel like torture and bring more pain than comfort.

If you are faced with making the important decision of whether or not to keep a loved one alive, think carefully about what he or she may have wanted.  Consult with close friends and family members who know your loved one well and speak to doctors about what they believe would be best for your him or her. 

The decision is never easy, but may arise, so talk to your loved one before the Alzheimer’s progresses and they are unable to communicate to you their wishes.

Austin End of Life decisions of loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease - Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law - (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

Handling The End Of Life Decisions Of A Loved One With Alzheimer’s –

Unfortunately, there is likely to come a time in every caretakers life when he or she is forced to make an end-of-life decision for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.  These choices are not easy and cannot only take a mental and emotional toll on a person, but can cause intense physical pain as well. 

Ideally, before the Alzheimer’s progresses to a point where your loved one is unable to make these important decisions on their own, discussions about their wishes should take place while they still have the capacity to decide what they really want. 

People with Alzheimer’s have legal right to limit or pass up medical or life-sustaining treatments including the use of ventilators, antibiotics and cardiopulmonary resuscitation as well as artificial nutrition and hydration. 

Through advanced directives, Alzheimer’s patients can decide whether or not they want to be kept alive artificially should the need occur.  To avoid putting pressure on your or another family member, you should encourage your loved one to make this decision as soon as they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

It is often difficult for people with late-stage Alzheimer’s to eat, mainly because they’ve forgotten how to chew and swallow and could end up choking.  Choose soft foods that can be swallowed easily and make liquids a little thicker, by adding cornstarch or unflavored gelatin, so they’re easier to drink. 

If your loved one only eats certain foods and is not getting necessary nutrition, add supplements to his or her beverages. Allow plenty of time for eating and make sure they remain in an upright position for at least 30 minutes after mealtimes to ensure proper digestion. 

To prevent infections, keep your loved ones teeth and mouth clean and tend to cuts and scrapes immediately.  Since they’re already sick, people with late-stage Alzheimer’s can get infections or viruses incredibly easily and are often too weak to find it off.  Make sure they get their flu shots every year and take all necessary medications on a daily basis. 

Since your loved one may be unable to communicate pains or illness they’re feeling, learn to recognize their signs so you can keep them as comfortable as possible.  Look for physical signs of pain, such as pale or flushed skin tones, dry gums, mouth sores or swelling in any part of the body. 

Keep track of any gestures that your loved one may make to indicate discomfort and watch for changes in behavior.  Though it may be difficult to communicate with your loved one, it’s important to remain diligent in your care so they maintain a high quality of comfort.  

When dealing with late stage care & long term planning for Alzheimer’s Disease - Call Brian Willie at Willie Elder Law - (512) 478-0834, or email bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.

When dealing with late stage care or life care planning for your elder living with Alzheimer’s Disease - Willie Elder Law - (512) 478-0834.

Caring For A Loved One With Late Stage Alzheimer’s –

The late stages of Alzheimer’s can last anywhere from several weeks to several years.  This period, which can be incredibly hard on both the patient and their caregiver, usually requires around-the-clock supervision and assistance.  It’s important to focus on preserving the quality of life and dignity of a person with Alzheimer’s, even if he or she is unable to communicate with others and tell them what they need.

People with late-stage Alzheimer’s often become bedridden or chair-bound.  This inability to move can cause skin breakdown, pressure sores and joint freezing.  To relieve the body pressure and improve skin moisture, change your loved ones position at least every two hours. 

Make sure they’re comfortable and use pillows and soft blankets to support them.  To make sure his or her joints to freeze, move the arms and legs two or three times a day and ask their doctor about different exercises that may be useful in keeping their bodies as active as possible.

Alzheimer’s Disease plays havoc on family members and especially the family member who is living with the disease. In most cases, it is difficult to witness the toll it takes on our loved one’s life. Alzheimer’s strips away dignity and esteem.. little is left behind. Independence gone forever.

And when you discover that your loved one is continuing to drive even though they promised they would not, you find yourself in a hard place to be. To prevent them from injury on themselves or others, there are several ways in which you can limit their driving. 

First of all, speak to your loved ones doctor and ask them to write a “do not drive” prescription and send it to the Department of Motor Vehicles and show it to your loved one.  Control access to their car by holding on to their keys, parking it on another block or in the driveway of someone you know.  If your loved one continues to drive, despite the fact that they no longer have a legal license, you may need to disable the vehicle by removing the battery or distributor cap.

Taking away the driving privileges of an Alzheimer’s patient is an exhausting process that could leave your loved one feeling like they’ve lost their freedom and family members feeling guilty for taking that freedom away.  It’s important to be sensitive to your loved ones needs and arrange for other modes of transportation so they can continue to go about their daily routines.  Above all,

Alzheimer’s patients tend to mourn for their independence and feel useless relying on others to do the things that they used to do for themselves.  Maintaining a relatively normal schedule can offer stability and a strong sense of self-satisfaction, for both you and your loved one.

When dealing with long term planning, estate planning, and wills – contact Willie Elder Law - (512) 478-0834.