Every person with dementia needs a safe environment where they can continue lead full and active lives for as long as possible. Caregivers can learn how to modify their homes and provide directions to the person with dementia to keep them safe from harm.

Keeping your loved one safe

Persons with early stage dementia

• Can continue to move about their world with a high level of function.
• Can drive, cook, manage medications, tell jokes, and remember schedule details.
• May lose details in their daily life, and need to have systems put into place to ensure their safety.
• Various types of memory aides may be helpful at this stage.

Positive Dementia Paths provides individualized plans to help keep the person with dementia functioning as independently and safely as possible.

Persons with middle stage dementia

• Retain many daily living skills such as dressing, bathing, grooming, and routine tasks.
• Lose their ability to do higher level cognitive or thinking functions
• Need more attention from caregivers to remain safe in and out of the home

Positive Dementia Paths teaches caregivers how to provide proper cuing and task set- up to help the person with dementia retain independence in daily routine tasks. This training and education reinforces safety. No other local business offers the skill level of an occupational therapist, who specializes in this area besides Positive Dementia Paths.

Persons with later stage dementia

• Require more assistance from the caregiver with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, grooming, eating, and toileting.
• Lose ability to move safely in their environment.
• Can continue to interact with their environment and respond to calming or alerting input

Positive Dementia Paths teaches caregivers how to move the person with dementia from one place to another without the caregiver straining their back. Caregivers are also trained to recognize the sensory needs of the person with dementia, and how to establish a calm or alerting environment.

Cost of care

There are not only financial costs that arise when caring for a person with memory loss. There are also physical, psychological, and emotional costs. Positive Dementia Paths addresses all of these important needs.

Taking care of yourself

• There is a strong correlation between the health and well-being of a caregiver and the quality of care that caregivers can provide.
• Research shows that caregiving can have consequences to physical health as well as mental health.
• Mortality rates are 63% higher for spousal caregivers who experience care-giving related stress when compared to non-caregivers of the same age. (Family Caregiving Alliance Fact Sheet).

Physical Costs

Caregivers can experience loss of sleep, increased anxiety, poor eating and exercise patterns, as well as physically needing to assist the person with memory loss perform their daily activities.

If a caregiver’s health erodes it adds more anxiety, and increased health issues. It’s important for caregivers to take good care of themselves physically by learning how to set up activities so the person with memory loss can do as much for themselves as possible- and still be safe.

Eventually caregivers can benefit from learning proper ways to move their loved one so their own backs are not injured.

Positive Dementia Paths teaches caregivers the proper ways to set up tasks to engage the person with memory loss as long as possible to be active and involved in their daily routines, decreasing the burden on caregivers.

Positive Dementia Paths can also teach caregivers proper lifting techniques and make recommendations for adapted equipment or home modifications that will ease the care for both the caregiver and the person with memory loss.

Psychological and Emotional Costs

Having a person you love diagnosed with a disease that includes losing their memory and other abilities can cause sadness, anxiety, and maybe fear.

As the person with dementia progresses with their disease caregivers continue to experience psychological and emotional issues.

It is as important for caregivers to address these matters as they might physical concerns. Acknowledging the losses that come from caring for a person with dementia is essential, but it’s equally important for caregivers to take care of themselves and retain their own health.

Positive Dementia Paths assists caregivers by giving them practical ways they can change their interactions and communication patterns with the person with dementia, so tasks become less frustrating and more success is seen on a daily basis.

Positive Dementia Paths can help caregivers learn ways to keep themselves healthy by enabling them to more effectively communicate and set up tasks for the person with dementia.

Financial Costs of Long Term Care Services

The average costs for long-term care services in the United States are:

• $225 per day or $82.128 per year for a semi-private room in a nursing home
• $253 per day or $92,376 per year for a private room in a nursing home
• $3,650 per month or $44,000 per year for basic services in an assisted living facility
• $20 per hour for a home health aide
• $68 per day for adult day service

Numbers are from 2016. From: https://acl.gov/ltc/costs-and-who-pays/costs-of-care on 8/31/2021

Reduce the Costs of Care with Positive Dementia Paths Services

Dr. Donovan teaches caregivers how to adjust the daily tasks needed to the person with dementia safe and contented in the home for a longer length of time. With training and education, the expense of institutional living may be delayed.

For a few hundred dollars a year Positive Dementia Paths can help caregivers decrease frustration, increase understanding of the disease process and changes that occur, increase skills for getting daily activities done, and increase the amount of positive time to spend on relationships. Positive Dementia Paths services can be obtained in a private home, apartment, assisted living facility, or other if deemed appropriate by Dr. Donovan. Information on frequency, length, and cost of services follows.

See our Professional Services Page for more information on our services and pricing.