Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in Toronto

What Is Dementia Care?

Dementia care is specialized support designed around the changing cognitive, physical and everyday needs of a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

Dementia is an umbrella term describing symptoms that affect brain function, including memory, language, planning, judgment, mood and behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is one of several conditions that can cause dementia.

Because dementia affects each person differently, effective home care should not follow a one-size-fits-all routine.

Someone in the earlier stages may need companionship, reminders and assistance organizing their day. As dementia progresses, they may require increasing help with bathing, dressing, meals, toileting, mobility and other activities of daily living.

Senior Homecare By Angels develops an individualized care plan around each client’s abilities, routines, personality, preferences and current level of assistance.

Helping Someone With Dementia Continue Living at Home

A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean someone must immediately leave their home.

With appropriate support, some people living with dementia can continue living in familiar surroundings while receiving additional assistance with daily activities. Remaining at home can allow the person to stay close to familiar rooms, belongings, routines, neighbours and family members.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada emphasizes that people living with dementia can continue to participate in everyday life and that care should adapt as their abilities change. Familiar routines can also help support independence.

Our role is to provide the level of assistance the individual needs while encouraging them to continue participating in activities they are still able and comfortable doing.

What Can an Alzheimer’s or Dementia Caregiver Help With?

Dementia can affect much more than memory. Over time, a person may need increasing assistance with everyday routines that were once simple and familiar.

Depending on the individualized care plan, a Senior Homecare By Angels caregiver may assist with:

Companionship

Regular companionship can provide conversation, reassurance and meaningful social interaction. Caregivers can spend time talking, listening to music, looking through photographs, playing cards or games, going for walks or participating in other familiar activities the client enjoys.

Meaningful activities can be adapted to match the person’s changing abilities rather than automatically being taken away as dementia progresses.

Personal Care

Dementia can eventually make personal-care routines more difficult to remember or complete independently. Caregivers can assist with personal hygiene, mouth care, toileting, incontinence care and other everyday personal needs.

Bathing and Dressing

A caregiver can provide assistance with bathing, dressing, choosing clothing, grooming, hair care and shaving. Whenever possible, the client should continue participating in the parts of the routine they can still manage. Breaking activities into simpler steps can make everyday tasks easier for some people living with dementia.

Meal Preparation

Changes in memory, judgment or physical ability can make meal preparation increasingly difficult. Caregivers can assist with preparing meals and snacks based on the client’s established preferences and dietary needs. Maintaining familiar meal routines and favourite foods can also help make mealtimes more comfortable.

Medication Reminders

For clients who have an established medication system, such as a pill organizer or medication tracker, caregivers can provide medication reminders according to the client’s care plan.

Light Housekeeping and Laundry

Caregivers can assist with light housekeeping, laundry, bed making and linen changes related to the client’s everyday living environment.

Grocery Shopping and Errands

Routine errands may become difficult for someone whose memory, judgment or mobility has changed. Caregivers can assist with grocery shopping and other everyday errands when these services are part of the care plan.

Medical Appointments

A caregiver can accompany a client to medical appointments when additional support is needed.

Activities and Daily Routines

Maintaining structure can be helpful for someone living with dementia. A caregiver can help the client follow familiar daily routines and participate in activities suited to their interests and abilities, including walking, gardening, music, games, cards and time outdoors.

Personalized Dementia Care Based on the Individual

Two people with the same diagnosis may have very different needs. One person may remain physically active but have difficulty remembering appointments or preparing meals. Another may remember people and routines but require substantial assistance with mobility or personal care.

Person-centred dementia care means looking beyond the diagnosis and getting to know the person. We consider factors such as:

The Alzheimer Society of Canada recommends continuing to respect the abilities, preferences and choices of people living with dementia and involving them in decisions for as long as they are able.

Our goal is not to take over every aspect of a client’s life. It is to provide support where it is needed while respecting the individual behind the diagnosis.

Maintaining Familiar Routines

Routine can become increasingly important as memory and cognitive abilities change. Familiar activities can provide structure to the day and reduce the number of unfamiliar decisions a person needs to make.

Whenever possible, our caregivers learn how the client prefers to begin their morning, when they normally eat, what activities they enjoy, how they like their personal-care routine handled and what makes them feel comfortable.

The objective is not to force the person into the caregiver’s schedule. Instead, the caregiver works within an individualized care plan designed around the client’s established routines and changing abilities.

Supporting Communication

Dementia can gradually affect a person’s ability to find words, follow conversations, understand complicated instructions or communicate what they need. Effective communication often requires patience.

A caregiver may need to:

The Alzheimer Society of Canada notes that communication can continue even when language becomes more difficult, and that non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, tone and body language can remain important.

Changes in Mood and Behaviour

Dementia can sometimes affect mood, behaviour, judgment and personality. A person may become anxious, confused, frustrated, suspicious or agitated. They may repeat questions, resist certain activities or behave in ways that are unfamiliar to their family.

These changes can be particularly difficult for family caregivers who know the person as a parent, spouse or lifelong friend.

Our caregivers focus on approaching clients with patience, consistency and respect while becoming familiar with the routines, situations and forms of communication that work best for that individual.

Sudden or significant changes in behaviour can also have medical causes and should be discussed with the client’s physician or appropriate health-care professional.

Home Safety and Dementia

As dementia progresses, changes in memory, judgment, perception, balance or mobility may create new safety concerns around the home. Potential concerns can include:

The Alzheimer Society of Canada recommends regularly reassessing the home environment because safety needs can change as dementia progresses.

A caregiver can provide additional supervision and everyday assistance, but families should also discuss significant safety concerns with appropriate health-care professionals.

Wandering and Getting Lost

Some people living with dementia may walk away from home or become confused about where they are. This can happen even in places that were once extremely familiar.

Families who are concerned about wandering or getting lost should develop an individualized safety plan and consider additional resources designed specifically for people living with dementia.

Senior Homecare By Angels can provide caregiver supervision and companionship according to the client’s care plan. For specialized strategies related to wandering and missing-person risks, families may also wish to consult dementia-specific resources such as the Alzheimer Society’s Finding Your Way program.

Dementia Care as Needs Change

Dementia is progressive, but the rate and way it progresses can vary significantly from person to person. Care that is appropriate today may need to change months or years from now.

Someone who initially requires a few hours of companionship and meal assistance may later need more help with:

Senior Homecare By Angels can review the client’s care arrangement as their circumstances change. Families may transition between hourly care, extended care and Live-In Care depending on the level of assistance required.

Alzheimer’s Care vs. Dementia Care

The terms “Alzheimer’s care” and “dementia care” are often used together, but they are not exactly the same.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms affecting cognitive abilities and everyday functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is one disease that can cause dementia.

Other forms of dementia can include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and mixed dementia. While the diagnosis can influence a person’s symptoms and progression, home-care planning should ultimately focus on the individual’s current needs, abilities and preferences.

Senior Homecare By Angels provides support for people living with Alzheimer’s disease as well as other forms of dementia.

Care for Someone in the Earlier Stages of Dementia

In the earlier stages of dementia, a person may still be quite independent. They might need assistance with selected activities such as:

Introducing additional help earlier can also give the client time to become familiar with a caregiver before more extensive care is required. The appropriate time to begin home care depends on the individual and their family.

Care as Dementia Progresses

As dementia advances, a person may require considerably more hands-on assistance. They may have difficulty completing personal-care routines, communicating their needs, managing continence, eating independently or moving safely around the home.

At this stage, care may involve more extensive help with bathing, dressing, toileting and incontinence care, grooming, meals, mobility, supervision, companionship and maintaining familiar routines.

Some individuals may eventually require extended daytime assistance or live-in support. The care arrangement should evolve with the person rather than waiting for a crisis before additional help is considered.

Dementia Care After a Hospital Stay

Hospitalization can be especially challenging for someone living with dementia. An unfamiliar environment and disruption to normal routines may increase confusion for some individuals.

After returning home, a person may also have new mobility, personal-care or rehabilitation needs in addition to their existing dementia-related requirements.

Senior Homecare By Angels can provide Hospital Support while a client is hospitalized and help families arrange additional care following discharge. Returning to familiar surroundings with an established care plan may help families re-establish the client’s normal daily routine.

Respite Care for Families Caring for Someone With Dementia

Family members provide an enormous amount of care to people living with dementia. As needs increase, a spouse, son, daughter or other relative may find themselves responsible for personal care, meals, appointments, supervision and many other everyday tasks.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada recognizes that caring for someone living with dementia can have a substantial impact on the health and well-being of the primary caregiver.

Senior Homecare By Angels provides Respite Care so a professional caregiver can temporarily step in while the regular family caregiver rests, works, attends appointments, travels or manages other responsibilities.

Asking for help does not mean giving up your caregiving role. It can make it easier to continue that role over the longer term.

How Our Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Process Works

Why Families Choose Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto

Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto has been providing home-care services to Toronto families since 2008. We understand that choosing a caregiver for someone living with dementia is a very personal decision. Families choose us for:

Our goal is to help each client receive the support they need while continuing to be treated as an individual, with their own routines, preferences, history and abilities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

What is in-home dementia care?

In-home dementia care provides personalized assistance for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia while allowing them to remain in their own home. Care may include companionship, personal care, meals, medication reminders, household assistance, activities and supervision based on the person’s individual needs.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term describing symptoms that affect memory, thinking, judgment, communication and everyday functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the diseases that can cause dementia.

Can someone with dementia continue living at home?

Some people living with dementia can remain at home with appropriate family and professional support. Whether this is appropriate depends on the person’s cognitive abilities, physical health, safety needs, living environment and the amount of assistance available.

When should I consider home care for a parent with dementia?

Families may consider home care when memory loss or other changes begin affecting everyday activities such as meals, personal hygiene, medication routines, appointments, household tasks or the ability to remain safely alone for extended periods.

Can a dementia caregiver help with bathing and toileting?

Yes. Depending on the individualized care plan, Senior Homecare By Angels caregivers can assist with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, incontinence care and other personal-care routines.

Can you provide overnight or live-in dementia care?

Senior Homecare By Angels offers day and night care as well as live-in care for clients who require more extensive assistance. The appropriate arrangement depends on the individual’s needs and whether overnight care requires occasional assistance or more continuous support.

Can we meet the caregiver before care begins?

Yes. Senior Homecare By Angels allows clients and families to meet care providers it refers and participate in the final caregiver-selection decision before services begin.

What if my parent’s dementia care needs increase?

Care plans can be reassessed as the client’s needs change. Additional hours, more extensive personal care or live-in support may be considered when the existing arrangement no longer provides enough assistance.

Do you provide respite care for dementia caregivers?

Yes. Senior Homecare By Angels provides respite care that allows a family caregiver to take time away while a professional care provider supports their loved one.

Does memory loss always mean dementia?

No. Memory changes can have different causes, and not all memory loss is dementia. If you are concerned about changes in memory, judgment, language or everyday functioning, speak with a physician or other qualified health-care professional for appropriate assessment.