Finding home care services that meet the unique requirements of those with dementia
Actions Speak Louder Than Words!
Family members continue to ask us for guidance in selecting a home care agency that is equipped to care for their loved one with dementia in the appropriate manner. Except for some of our home care clients, we hesitate to provide a referral when asked.
The reason for our hesitation is because dementia care training is not just about watching a few training videos. Due to frequent changes in personnel and the uniqueness of so many with dementia, training must be an ongoing occurrence. Unfortunately, not all home care agencies want or feel the need to make this level of commitment.
Our objective in creating Dementia Care Alliance is to assemble those home care agencies, in one place, that prove their willingness (in tangible ways) to make the ongoing investment in providing the level of care necessary for people with dementia.
Our goal for Dementia Care Alliance is to establish a home environment that has these characteristics:
Maximization of the loved one’s independence and self sufficiency
Engagement of loved one in activities that nurture fulfillment and satisfaction
Enhanced communication between family and agency
Implementation of safety measures specific to those with dementia
There’s no membership fee for a home care agency to join the Alliance
The Alliance is about quality of services, not quantity of membership
The home care agency must qualify for membership by agreeing to at least 4 training sessions every year, throughout the year as well as other ongoing proactive measures to increase quality of care
The home care agency must connect Engaging Alzheimer’s to their clients for family coaching, support, agency evaluations, and ongoing education
Member agencies must agree to provide each client with My Frame of Reference™to help their in-home staff better relate and care for the client
Member agencies must also provide to each family of a client with dementia a copy of our award-winning book, I Care, so that there will be consistency of care from families as well as in-home care staff
All dementia care training for member home care agencies is provided by Engaging Alzheimer’s LLC, at no cost to the client, using our proven strategies and care model
While we cannot endorse any particular member agency, we do acknowledge that each member is in compliance with the requirements for membership and thereby, making a concerted effort to learn and apply best care practices.