We treat your loved one like family, offering respite for you and enhancing the caregiving experience. Learn more
Medical & Community Partners
A female caregiver talking to an elderly woman in a wheelchair at a flower garden A female caregiver talking to an elderly woman in a wheelchair at a flower garden
Sonoma | Services | Specialty Care
|Back to Specialty Care|

Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Cognitive Change

No matter the cause, conditions that result in a change of mood, memory or the thinking process are especially tough. When these are associated with aging, we often call them “Alzheimer’s,” but in reality, Alzheimer’s is just one of many different disorders of the brain.

Caring for a family member or friend with cognitive difficulties is demanding. If you’re doing it by yourself, it’s even tougher. At times, it can feel like you’re battling both the disease and the person. They need a sense of normalcy, but they don’t always act like they want it. Even when you’re doing everything right, it can feel like you’re doing everything wrong. It drains you emotionally and physically.

We believe that it doesn’t have to. Our approach is about helping you reclaim precious moments with your loved one, so instead of worrying about their bad days, you can celebrate their good days. Most of all, we want to be there for both of you so you don't have to do it alone.

Right at Home offers a customized care plan with a combination of personal care, companionship and homemaking, and just as importantly, we can provide respite care for you and your other loved ones.

Start Care Now

(707) 843-5192
Thumbnail featuring the cover of the guide. It includes a silhouette of a person’s head with the brain’s different parts colored in.

Feeling Lost?

Let Us Help You Care for Those With Dementia

It can be especially hard to help someone with dementia like Alzheimer’s when the condition is so difficult to understand. In this guide, we’ll give you the basics of what causes dementia, along with some strategies for care.
Learn more

Need time for yourself? We’re there for you at any time, anywhere.

Right at Home’s Dementia Guide Video Series

In this collection, gerontologist Diane Darby Beach, Ph.D., will take you through some of the most important details of how cognitive change can progress, so you can be more prepared for whatever the future brings.
Watch the series

Four Ways We Can Help

A caregiver talks to a patient over tea. A caregiver talks to a patient over tea.
1. Building Normalcy
Reducing stress for someone with Alzheimer’s means being consistent. We can help you and your friend or family member create and stick to a routine, and we can do it in a way that meets their particular needs.
This includes:

  • Making sure the home feels familiar to them
  • Giving them the freedom to move about unrestricted in the home
  • Minimizing stresses that can aggravate the symptoms of cognitive change
  • Keeping them oriented with daily reminders of time, place and person
A caregiver and her patient standing in front of a cash register in a store. A caregiver and her patient standing in front of a cash register in a store.
2. A Helping Hand
Along with a specialized cognitive care plan, Right at Home caregivers also provide general companionship to your loved one, including helping with daily tasks and protecting them from isolation or loneliness.
A caregiver and her patient discuss medication. A caregiver and her patient discuss medication.
3. Keeping Them on Track
People with dementia may have specific, strict medication regimens. In some cases, this could require the services of a skilled nurse. Fortunately, in some states, many of our caregivers are also trained nurses, so you can rest assured the person’s needs will be met.
A caregiver and a patient’s family member talk outdoors. A caregiver and a patient’s family member talk outdoors.
4. Giving You a Break
Since you carry a heavy burden as a caregiver of a person with dementia, it’s important to have a break. We can help with that, too, giving you much-needed rest and time off so you can focus on your own needs.
Learn more

The Latest Thinking in Cognitive and Dementia Care

Research into the care and treatment of dementia like Alzheimer’s is constantly growing. Here are some of the latest ideas that have guided our training and care programs.
female caregiver playing chess with senior
female caregiver playing chess with senior

Top 10 Myths About Your Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
smiling senior and younger ladies
smiling senior and younger ladies

Adapting the Home When a Loved One Has Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
senior and caregiver arranging flowers
senior and caregiver arranging flowers

When Your Loved One Receives a Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

Read more
A female care worker smiling in the background. In the foreground is an elderly female patient smiling back.
A female care worker smiling in the background. In the foreground is an elderly female patient smiling back.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"I like the quality of the individuals that take care of my loved one. They give me a break from the care. They are really good at providing companionship for Deanna. They are frequently in touch. Anytime any issues arise, they are right on top of it. I appreciate their ability to relate to Deanna and basically be her friend."
Patty B.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"They have excellent communication and great caregivers. They are responsive. They take initiative. They giver her extra tender love and care. They have compassion for her. THey are responsive to requests from our family. They are quick to implement change. They are really an advocate for my mom. They have compassion and a caring nature towards my mother. Most of them are a great match."
Anonymous

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"The girls who have been here have been very good. I've been able to get away for awhile and do some things that I wanted to do. It gives me a break and the caregivers who come in have been very kind and helpful to my husband. They seem to be interested, caring, and kind individuals. They were always willing to do some extra things too. They take for a walk, watch him so he doesn't fall, prepare meals, and do light housekeeping. They tell me what they have done while I've been gone, showing kind acts, looking out for my husband, and being generally a good person conversing with my husband. They are very competent and gives me the information when I ask for it. The girls who have been here have been very capable and do everything that is necessary."
Ann C.

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"We have had the same provider for a while and he is wonderful. The caregiver is considerate, kind, and patient. They are both older men. The caregiver is very compassionate with older people. They are very efficient and they have been very aware of my needs."
Betty K

Hear What Others Are Saying

5 star icon
"I like that they are very responsive when a request is made. The caregivers are very professional. I don't have any complaints. If we want to make a change, we work with the agency to introduce new activities. They help with grocery shopping. I like that they are polite and professional. I like that they are caring because they accommodate the wishes of my parents."
Tom and Gerry K.

Already know which services you need?

Connect with us

Not sure what types of care you need?

Let's find out