In-Home Care Helps Support a Spouse with Dementia

By Jessica Ott | May 21, 2021 |

The news is never going to be easy to hear or accept. When you discover that your spouse has dementia, your entire life can feel like it just got ripped out from under your feet. You’ll flail and fumble, trying to find your way in this new world, this new reality. No matter what you do at first, no matter how well you connect the dots going backward in your memories, it won’t help. You will also look to the future, wondering how things will change and whether you’ll be able to handle the responsibilities that will inevitably come along with supporting a spouse with dementia. In-home care can be the best support you and your spouse could rely on, not just in the next few months, but well into the future.

You knew something was happening.

In-Home Care Gettysburg PA – In-Home Care Helps Support a Spouse with Dementia

In most cases, a diagnosis of dementia isn’t coming out of the blue. You probably noticed some of the early warning signs, like the forgetfulness, the distant look on his face from time to time, or him using the wrong word at times without even realizing it.

At first, it is too easy to pass these things off as ‘old age,’ but as the days passed into weeks and months, you knew something was happening. Something was wrong.

Now that you know, what steps should you take?

At first, it seems the senior will be able to care for himself well enough.

He’s strong, he’s able, and with your continued love and support, you both believe this will all work out in the end. But will it?

However, as the months pass, the struggles and challenges will become more significant. It will place a tremendous weight and burden on your shoulders to care for him. You could find yourself getting angry at him, even for things that aren’t his fault.

You may try to discourage him from doing certain things, yet meeting resistance every step of the way. Before you know it, as the dementia affects his behavior and memory more and more, you’re not only becoming resentful of some of the hurtful comments he makes (not him, but the disease affecting his brain), but also because everything you try to do to keep him safe is being met with an argument.

That’s where in-home care becomes a bridge.

By focusing on supporting your spouse through this difficult time, in-home care removes you from the role of primary caregiver. Instead, you can return to being ‘friend,’ ‘spouse’, ‘love.’

It helps you rebuild a bridge that dementia can try to destroy. You don’t have to bang your head against the wall doing everything in your power to keep your spouse safe. You can focus on being his or her love, and that’s the best way to rebuild bridges that inadvertently get burned when the tension and strain that dementia causes strikes the heart of your relationship.

Turn to in-home care when your spouse is dealing with dementia so the two of you can focus on what’s most important: you.

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in Gettysburg PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions. In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

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Jessica Ott

Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC

Jessica Ott is the Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC.

A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC is dedicated to providing our clients with a better quality of life through our support services while maintaining their independence in the comfort of their own home.

As a Home Care Agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we can provide families with peace of mind, knowing their loved one is in good hands.

We will work with you to prepare a care plan that incorporates your needs, your wishes, and your preferred schedule. Each client is matched with a caregiver who can best meet their individual needs, whether they reside in a house, apartment, condominium, assisted living, or nursing community.