Compassionate, Patient Caregivers with Specialized Experience and Training
Seniors who struggle with Alzheimer’s, dementia or any other form of cognitive decline – including Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia or Parkinson’s Disease Dementia – require an elevated level of care, and a special type of home caregiver.
We have been referring certified nursing assistants and home health aides with specific training and experience caring for individuals with these ailments – and the patient, compassionate countenance to deliver such care – for over 25 years.
Among our core values is the recognition of every client’s dignity, even if their current cognitive state does not reflect their prior sharpness.
Care from a consistent, familiar caregiver can go a long way toward easing the anxieties of loved ones suffering from these conditions and ensuring they remain safe in their homes.
A Caregiver for Patients with Dementia Can Help With…
- Medication reminders
- Grocery shopping or errands
- Assistance bathing or transferring from sitting to standing
- Companionship
- Meal preparation or light housework
- Support with personal hygiene
- Transportation to doctor appointments
- Mental and physical stimulation
Whatever the situation, we can help. We have worked with families from all over the country providing them with home health care solutions tailored to fit the specific needs of their loved ones in our communities suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other forms of cognitive impairment.
Boca Home Care Services focuses on keeping your family members and loved ones safe and secure in their own homes. We are the trusted partner for physicians and geriatric professionals in Palm Beach and Broward Counties when it comes to caring for their patients dealing with these cognitive challenges.
We can help you find care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia in:
Palm Beach County
Click a city below for more information:
Boca Raton,
Boynton Beach,
Delray Beach,
Highland Beach,
Jupiter,
Juno Beach,
Lantana,
Palm Beach Gardens,
Riviera Beach,
West Palm Beach
Broward County
Click a city below for more information:
Coral Springs,
Deerfield Beach,
Dania Beach,
Fort Lauderdale,
Hollywood,
Lauderdale by the Sea,
Oakland Park,
Parkland,
Plantation,
Pompano Beach,
Pembroke Pines,
Sunrise,
Weston
Let's talk about how we can help your loved one
See What Our Happy Clients and Their Families Are Saying About Us
There was no way that I could have handled this.
You have been an amazing and outstanding person through all of this…
every arrangement you made to help my father was nothing short of the highest quality. My dad was extremely happy after Boca Home Care and Lillith and yourself came upon the scene and literally took charge. Be aware, there was no way that I could have handled this. Two of my colleagues have already asked me for your number as they have elderly parents in Florida. Many thanks again!
Boca Home Care Service has been invaluable to us.
Aide Vera is a lifesaver. She has made lots of efforts to keep me in the loop with many different issues…
My mom has been taken off several drugs and the effect is fabulous.
She is back to her old self!
The Boca Home Care Services team has been invaluable to us. Please feel free to use me as a reference if you ever need.
My aide became part of my life.
Many thanks for assigning wonderful Jennifer M. as my home health aide. She not only cared for me, but was so kind and compassionate…
Aside from physically assisting me, she imparted helpful philosophical and psychological knowledge and always made me laugh when I felt like crying. She became part of my life.
Very caring and the best help one can have.
I wish to express my gratitude for the great service that you provided during my recent stay in Boca…
Also please express my thanks to the coordinators Ann, Millie and Adian. They also showed their professionalism on the day when I called them about a problem and they resolved it immediately and professionally. Ms. Hyacinth S, the aide that has taken care of me for my both recent stays is just nice, very caring and the best help one can have. Aide Monica (even though I only had her taking care of me for one week) turned out to be very capable, nice and caring.
This was the first time that I was not able to take care of my own basic needs.
Aide Yvonne is extremely competent, professional and experienced, and helped me both physically and mentally…
during my recovery from bilateral knee replacement surgery. Her skills are excellent and she is very compassionate. This was the first time that I was not able to take care of my own basic needs and she treated me with great respect. She was also very helpful in encouraging me to do my home physical therapy which was necessary for complete recuperation. My thanks to you and Boca Home Care Services. I will certainly recommend Boca Home Care Services to anyone who needs assistance.
I definitely did not want a big box company where my dad was just a number.
Working with the excellent team at Boca Home Care Services was seamless…
Dad went into the hospital and the case manager recommended them based on my specific qualifications. I definitely did not want a big box company where my dad was just a number. I spoke at length to Michelle and she guided me. One time I called, after hours, and Lisa, the owner picked up to address the upcoming schedule. Go figure, the owner was in. The service was great and dad rebounded quicker than his physicians had planned for. He’s back on the golf course and all is well again. Kudos the team at Boca Home Care. Highly recommended!
I would highly recommend Boca Home Care Services for your home care needs.
In 2015 my mother was discharged from Boca Raton Regional Hospital, launching a 7-year association…
with Boca Home Care Services. Millie did an AMAZING Job selecting a team of aides who eventually took care of my mother 24/7. She chose aides that I trusted IMPLICITLY (as I trust Brenda) to my mother’s care. Sheila was always a pleasure to deal with, ensuring that my mother’s long term care policy paid its fair share of the overwhelming cost burden. Finally, Natalie was always available as a manager, whenever issues arose and always administered necessary services overseeing the whole operation from billing to care. I would highly recommend Boca Home Care Services for your home care needs. My mother could not have reached 87 years of age without their team of caring professional providers.
Thank you, Lisa!
Lisa Kaufman was extremely responsive to my parents’ need for home care and was able to provide an aide on short notice…
Despite the fact that we could only agree to a very short-term engagement due to insurance considerations, she kindly came to my parents’ condo and patiently explained how things worked and filled out all necessary forms. I highly recommend her services. Thank you, Lisa!
Focused on the priorities of the patient.
I feel very fortunate to have been referred to Lisa Kaufman and her team at Boca Home Care Services…
Having interacted with other agencies enabled me to quickly realize how knowledgeable, experienced and genuinely interested Lisa was to address our needs. Our situation was a bit unusual and I greatly appreciated Lisa’s willingness to help me with achieving our goals rather than trying to revise them. Clearly this is an organization that embraces the tone at the top concept as virtually everyone on the BHCS team whom I had the opportunity to interact with was helpful, pleasant and professional. Particularly in such a sensitive personal services business, having the opportunity to collaborate with a group that is focused on the priorities of the patient’s team is critical in an effort to obtain the optimum results. I now look forward to paying it forward by having the opportunity to recommend Lisa Kaufman and BHCS to others who have the need for such services!
Boca Home Care Services is the care you need for your family members.
With all the confusion and stress that is associated with a parent getting older…
you shouldn’t make any decisions without Lisa at Boca Home Care Services. She not only helped with advice and concern but offered the most caring aides to help maintain my mom’s quality of life for years. Boca Home Care Services is an invaluable “friend” in home care. Even now Lisa continues to offer assistance in choosing a skilled nursing facility while still helping us get the right aides to help my mom in the day to day. Boca Home Care Services is both the love and care you need for your family members. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
This agency is amazing!!
I had tons of questions and concerns about my parents, and they were responsive and diligent and provided incredible service to us…
They have assisted me and my family in setting everything up, and I was so impressed with that, coupled with their sympathy and patience. I can highly recommend them to any family going through the difficult period of taking care of aging parents. They are the best. Thanks Boca Care! PS: Ask for Cheryl when you call them. She is the “411” of anything and everything in this world and I could not feel more safe and secure knowing she is my go-to person. Lucky to have her on your team.
Provide quality care, compassionate services and then some.
As a Care Manager for older adults and their families, I often refer to amazing professionals in the community…
Provide quality care, compassionate services and then some. As a Care Manager for older adults and their families, I often refer to amazing professionals in the community… I feel grateful that I have had the opportunity to work closely with Lisa Kaufman, the owner of Boca Home Care Services. She and her company are exceptional! Lisa is professional, kind, caring and gives 150% of herself and then some, to be certain that she and her staff provide quality care, compassionate services and then some. It is not easy to find a company that provides all of the above and even more. Lisa is a Care Manager as well, so she knows what it takes to give it her all! Kudos to Lisa and her outstanding company!
We Understand Cognitive Impairment Diseases
We’ve collected some acquired wisdom into the following frequently asked questions about dementia and Alzheimer’s. Please call us with any additional questions you may have.
Dementia generally refers to the symptoms resulting from lost functionality of certain neurons in an aging individual’s brain.
Symptoms can include any of the following:
- Loss of memory, confusion or poor judgment
- Frequently repeating questions already answered
- Problems speaking, understanding, reading, writing, and expressing thoughts
- Getting lost in a familiar neighborhood or even home environment
- Inability to manage money or pay bills responsibly
- Using strange words or names to refer to familiar objects or people
- Taking a long time to finish normal activities
- Experiencing delusions, paranoia, or hallucinations
- Losing interest in normal activities or special occasions
- Acting impulsively
There are four common types of dementia, each caused by slightly different alterations in the brain. An individual can develop one or more of these at the same time:
- Alzheimer’s Disease: This is the most common type of dementia, and is often used broadly to describe all forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s is caused by severe changes in the brain generated by an abnormal buildup of proteins in the brain called amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
- Lewy Body Dementia: This type of dementia results from the abnormal buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein.
- Vascular Dementia: This type of dementia is caused by a stroke or blockage of blood flow to the brain.
- Frontotemporal Dementia: This rare type of dementia happens to people under 60. The disease is associated with a buildup of the proteins TDP-43 and tau tangles.
Physicians can test for dementia by using one or more diagnostic tools:
- Cognitive and neurological testing to assess the patient’s ability to remember, solve problems, use motor skills, use language effectively, and maintain proper balance.
- Taking brain scans by using CT scans, x-rays and other imaging equipment to identify possible causes of strokes, tumors, and other conditions that can cause or increase the likelihood of developing dementia.
- Performing psychiatric evaluations to determine if depression or another mental disorder is causing or contributing to symptoms.
- Conducting genetic tests to determine if genetics increase the likelihood of contracting dementia.
- Using blood tests to detect the level of beta-amyloid proteins buildup, which is the primary cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
These tools can help rule out other medical disorders that may present similarly to dementia but may be managed differently, such as Argyrophilic Grain Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Huntington’s Disease or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
There are various medications that can be prescribed to help individuals suffering from dementia control the symptoms or slow their progression, even if they cannot cure the underlying factors.
Any medications should only be taken under the careful guidance of a qualified physician, but may include:
Symptoms can include any of the following:
- Pharmaceuticals such as donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine are used to treat mild-to-moderate symptoms of dementia.
- Memantine can be used to help control a chemical critical for memory and learning.
- Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can even out mood swings
- Anxiolytics such as lorazepam or oxazepam can be prescribed to relieve anxiety or restlessness.
- Antipsychotic medications such as aripiprazole, haloperidol, olanzapine, or risperidone may be used to help patients control feelings and behaviors related to agitation, aggression, hallucinations, and delusions.
Therapeutic treatments that don’t involve drugs include:
- Cognitive stimulation therapy such as taking part in group activities and exercises.
- Cognitive rehabilitation therapy involves working closely with a trained therapist with a focus on learning ways to improve work performance or simple personal tasks like dressing and grooming.
- Reminiscence therapy relieves anxiety by talking with a trained therapist about past events.
The therapeutic approach often achieves what drugs can’t do — provide an internal sense of well-being without any side effects. Caregivers, friends, and family members can often participate in these sessions for an even better prognosis.
Caring for individuals with dementia can be incredibly challenging, particularly as the disease progresses. For example, middle-stage dementia patients are usually still mobile and aware that something’s wrong. They might try to deny their condition or try to prove themselves still capable, leading to increased instances of dangerous activities like forgetting food in the oven or on the stove. Middle-stage patients often get lost while searching for something they remember from their past. Forgetfulness causes major accident risks and an inability to recognize common dangers.
Caregivers often must try to explain discrepancies when patients no longer remember their friends and family members. Daily routines have to be adapted to ensure sanitary conditions, looking presentable, and remembering to eat. As the disease progresses, caregivers are often responsible for initiating these changes.
Whether a caregiver is a family member or a paid professional, he or she is often in the best position to find ways to stimulate the care recipient and fill their days with healthy activities. Depending on the level of each patient’s functionality, caregivers can initiate indoor and outdoor activities for their patients.
Indoor activities might include listening to music, looking at photos, playing games, working on a puzzle and watching sports or a favorite movie. Outdoor activities for dementia patients might include taking walks, playing simple games, watching dogs and people in the park, feeding birds and light gardening.
Stimulating activities that engage the patient in the present or stimulate their critical thinking skills have proven helpful in improving dementia patients’ quality of life.
The best thing you can do when caring or preparing to care for someone with dementia is to establish a sustainable routine. This will involve planning both physically and emotionally.
Physically, you will want to transform the patient’s home into a safe and sound place for the individual you’re caring for. Make sure access to medicine cabinets and other dangerous areas is limited. Install automatic shut-off devices and child-safety locks, as well as grab-bars in the bathroom. It may be necessary to take measures that will prevent the patient from leaving the house and wandering off. As the individual’s symptoms worsen, be prepared to assist with bathing, dressing and toileting, which may be physically difficult based on the patient’s stature.
Emotionally, the role reversal of giving care to those who once provided it can be very difficult to process, especially as some of the functions of traditional care will be directly reversed –as in feeding or bathing, for example. Caregivers should be prepared that a loved one may ask the same question multiple times. They may also suffer hallucinations, imagining them as an impostor or enemy. Making the best of s difficult situation may involve sharing as many memories and as much laughter as possible.
Most importantly, successful care involves understanding your own limitations and taking care of yourself so that you are able to take care of your loved one. Schedule time away from caregiving by leaning on other family members or professional respite care to ensure that you remain both emotionally centered and physically healthy so that you can be up for the challenge of caring with someone with dementia.