About who needs care: Alzheimer's Dementia. She's very pleasant and thinks she can take care of herself, but she can't. A typical daily routine follows: 9:00 AM: Fix her breakfast and tea, give morning meds, do dishes, update the daily calendar 3:00 PM: Bring her lunch/dinner (a big meal). There is plenty for her to snack on during the day. Do dishes. 5:00 PM: Make sure she takes her meds At 3:00 she starts getting anxious (sundowning), thinking she hears "footsteps" (she has pulsatile tinnitus where she hears her own heartbeat). Lots of reorienting at the 5:00 visit. Most evenings she goes to bed around 6-7:00 but lately she's been more anxious about the "footsteps." I'm working with her Drs. to adjust her meds to deal with this. She's not prone to wander or leave the house. The biggest issue is the evening anxiety. She doesn't like to watch TV, but will watch if you sit with her. She won't initiate a jigsaw puzzle, but she'll do one with you. She loves to talk about the past but if you stay too long (all day) or when she wants to go to bed, she wants to know "what's going on." We need help so we can go out of town. This is a full time job for me and I need a break. About the care needs: Preferably a female caretaker, someone who can engage her in conversation. No special skills, just show some interest in her. She likes birds, outdoors, gardening, talking about her grandparents, her life in Germany as a young mother. Services needed include: meal preparation, errands / shopping, light housekeeping, and companionship.
Companionship
Light Housekeeping
Meal Preparation
Errands / Shopping