Background

My mother is 82 years old. She has dementia. You can probably call it Alzheimer's but that is not something that people generally diagnose until after someone has died. At the present moment she is OK in the moment but cannot remember things that happened a minute earlier. Parts of her history have disappeared from her memory or are significantly distorted. She can walk on her own but she is a bit wobbly and has very poor stamina. When we leave the house she is always someone's hand or arm. If she didn't she would be in danger of falling. She is able to feed herself, manage her toileting, wash herself, get out of bed or from a seated position by herself (although she will ask for help getting up if someone is around...it's difficult for her). I mention these things because they are the major factor in how you are assessed for homecare. There are six basic ADLs (Activities of Daily Living): eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring and continence. Despite my mother's memory impairment she can manage her ADLs. She also has a history of a quadruple bypass, breast cancer and has diabetes. She cannot remember she has these issues, to take her medications, to eat regular meals (she eats when she feels like it), to wash herself, to change her clothes, but she can physically do these things. 

She has lived alone in her house since my father died over 20 years ago. I worry that she might fall or wander off or burn the house down.