After caring for two elderly parents for several years( one with Dementia)..I found that a common baby monitor helped a lot when I was at the house with them. My mother and I could leave the room, even go outside for air, and have a little more freedom knowing where my father was easily. I also put all their utilities and other necessary expenses on automatic payment, since mail sometimes was hidden or lost. I did find that Hospice has a category for people like my father, who had Dementia..it's called "failure to thrive". he ha dno other health problems, but due to his declining weight and size, he fit into that category..as a result, we had such amazing help from the Hospice organization in our area! be awarem though, that there arre differences in Hospice organizations..ours was paid for totally by Medicare. I found, too, that when we needed outside help, the first few times, they came, we just stayed and visited with them, until my father appeared to feel that they were people we all knew and trusted..we generally approached his care the same as we would in caring for a child..with dementia, it seems that any change, no matter how minor, is a major crisis to someone with Dementia.
