What to Expect from 24-Hour Dementia Care at Home

Schedule a free in-home assessment · Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7

What 24-hour dementia care at home means

24-hour care means your loved one is never without help, day or night. With Heritage, that coverage comes from scheduled shifts: our caregivers work set shifts around the clock, and each one hands off to the next caregiver on the schedule. Every shift is planned, and every caregiver on the schedule follows the same written care plan.

24-hour care is one option, not the starting point for every family. Many families begin with 4-hour visits or full-day shifts of 8 to 12 hours, add overnight care, and move to 24-hour coverage as dementia progresses.

Signs a family may be ready for 24-hour care

Families tend to look at 24-hour care when:

• Nights have become unsafe or exhausting: your loved one gets up confused, tries to leave the house or needs help to the bathroom, and a family member is no longer sleeping

• Wandering has started: a door left unlocked or an unwatched moment is enough for them to leave alone

• Sundowning fills the evening: late afternoons and evenings bring agitation that one tired family member can't manage alone

• A spouse caregiver is wearing down: the person doing most of the caring is losing sleep, skipping their own appointments or getting sick

• Coming home from the hospital: a parent is returning from a hospital or rehab stay and needs more help than before

A typical day with 24-hour care

Every care plan is different, but a day often follows a steady rhythm, because predictable routines help reduce confusion and anxiety:

• Morning: help getting up, toileting, bathing or a wash, dressing and grooming, then breakfast and a medication reminder

• Midday: a walk, music, photo albums, simple household tasks or an outing, followed by lunch and plenty of fluids

• Afternoon: rest, then calm activities; rides to appointments or errands when needed

• Late afternoon and evening: a quieter house, softer light and a predictable dinner routine to ease sundowning; reassurance instead of correction

• Bedtime: help with the evening routine, toileting and settling into bed

Our caregivers also handle light housekeeping and laundry connected to your loved one's care. Read more about our Alzheimer's and dementia care.

What happens overnight

Nights are often what push families to call. During the overnight hours, a caregiver is in the home and ready to help if your loved one wakes up, feels confused, wants to get up or needs help to the bathroom. Our caregivers gently redirect night-time wandering, help your loved one back to bed and keep the house quiet and calm. That way a spouse or adult child can sleep through the night.

Shift changes and handoffs

With round-the-clock care, more than one caregiver will be part of your loved one's week. We plan for that:

• One written care plan that every caregiver on the schedule follows, covering routines, preferences, what comforts your loved one and what to watch for

• A handoff at each shift change, so the next caregiver knows how the day or night went

• A consistent team: we work to keep the same small group of caregivers on your loved one's schedule, because familiar faces matter in dementia care

• Caregiver matching to your loved one's personality and history

The family's role

24-hour care doesn't replace family. It gives you room to be a husband, wife, son or daughter again instead of a full-time caregiver. Families usually:

• Choose one point of contact who makes care decisions and gets updates

• Share the routines that matter: favorite foods, music, the walk they take every morning, what upsets them and what calms them

• Stay involved with doctors and care teams. Our care is non-medical. Your loved one's doctors, and any home health or hospice team, handle the medical side, and our caregivers can work alongside them

• Adjust as needs change. There are no long-term contracts, so you can add hours, cut back or pause care

If family lives out of town, we agree on planned check-ins on a schedule that works for you.

24-hour care at home or memory care?

Many families tour memory care communities before calling us. For some people a facility is the right choice. Others do better at home, in their own room, with their own routines and one-on-one time with a caregiver who knows them. At the free assessment we'll give you a straightforward view of what home care can and can't do for your loved one.

Paying for 24-hour care

Round-the-clock care is a significant commitment, and families often look at more than one way to pay for it:

• Long-term care insurance may help pay for care at home. Every policy is different, so we offer a long-term care insurance policy review before care starts.

• Veterans and surviving spouses: Heritage Senior Care is contracted with the VA for Homemaker and respite care. The VA decides eligibility and costs. Learn more about in-home care for veterans.

• Respite first: some families start with respite care, a few hours, a full day or several nights, before deciding on 24-hour coverage.

Where we provide 24-hour dementia care

All scheduling is handled from our one office at 2111 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, and our caregivers work in homes across North County San Diego. City pages: Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe and Fallbrook.

Gayle Mayben founded Heritage Senior Care in 1983 with her daughter Roni, and Heritage Senior Care, Inc. remains family-owned today. We are a licensed California Home Care Organization (HCO #374700058). Before caring for clients, each of our caregivers completes a lifetime background check with Live Scan fingerprinting through the FBI and the California Department of Justice.

Questions families ask about 24-hour dementia care at home

Can a person with dementia stay at home with 24-hour care instead of moving to memory care?

In many cases, yes. We schedule caregivers in shifts around the clock so someone is always in the home. Whether home is the right fit depends on your loved one's needs, and we'll talk that through honestly at the free assessment.

How is 24-hour care scheduled?

Our 24-hour care is provided through scheduled shifts around the clock, with a handoff each time one caregiver hands over to the next. Every shift is planned in advance from our Carlsbad office.

Will my parent have the same caregiver every day?

With round-the-clock care, more than one caregiver will be on the schedule. We work to keep a consistent small team, and every caregiver follows the same written care plan.

What do caregivers do overnight?

A caregiver is in the home and ready to help if your loved one wakes up, feels confused, tries to get up or needs help to the bathroom. They gently redirect night-time wandering and help your loved one settle back to bed.

Are your caregivers your own employees?

Yes. Our caregivers are W-2 employees of Heritage Senior Care, Inc. We hire, train, schedule and supervise them ourselves.

Do your caregivers give medications or provide nursing care?

No. Our caregivers give medication reminders. They do not administer medication or provide medical or nursing care. They can work alongside a home health or hospice team.

Can we start with fewer hours and build up to 24-hour care?

Yes. Many families start with 4-hour visits or full-day shifts, add overnight care, and move to 24-hour care as needs change. There are no long-term contracts.

What happens during the free assessment?

We meet you and your loved one at home, walk through the house, and talk about daily routines, safety concerns, nights and how many hours of help you need. Then we put together a care plan. Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7, or request a free assessment. You can also send us a note.

Round-the-clock dementia care at home, from a family that has been doing this since 1983. Free assessment · (760) 720-7740 (24/7) · Office Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm · 2111 Palomar Airport Rd Ste 120, Carlsbad, CA 92011