Some suggestions for those who are caring for a person at the beginning stages of the illness. Review their medical, dental, eye care history and soon arrange for any procedures that might become much more difficult or impossible later.
For example, we knew before Dad had advanced very far in the illness that he had cataracts, but at the time we didn’t have presence of mind to go ahead and have them removed. As time went on and Dad became less able/willing to cooperate with the directions from a physician or his family, for that matter, we reached a point when it became impossible to undertake some needed procedures. Now it is almost impossible even to put eye drops in his eyes because he will immediately shut them and refuse to open them for any reason. He cannot cooperate with any follow-up care for preventing infection–likely would not tolerate an eye patch or other protective measures.
And a similar problem exists for dental care. Fortunately Dad has incredibly strong teeth, a feature he always attributed to his inheritance of Cherokee genes. He does cooperate nicely when I brush his teeth, but forget the dentist’s chair!
A corollary to these cautions is to actively work to establish routines as soon as the disease process is recognized. Although the person you care for may be able to brush his own teeth at the time, odds are that eventually he won’t. I suggest that you can start the routine of you brushing his teeth perhaps once or twice a week, perhaps by saying–“I just want to be sure you haven’t missed any spots”–or whatever might work in your situation. When the time comes when he can’t do it himself, the routine is already established, isn’t seen as an intrusion or threat, and likely will be accommodated without resistance. We started using a Rotadent toothbrush for Dad early on. He got accustomed to the sound and feel of it and has no problem letting me brush his teeth. I suggest the Rotadent to everyone–it is quiet and effective. Follow-up with Toothettes (a sponge swab) moistened in a bit of mouthwash. The idea here is to start giving them help in this way before they absolutely require it, but do so in a graduated way that enables them to retain skills and independence as long as possible.
So, get your loved one in for an eye check-up, a dental exam, and a physical exam, and take care of any issues that predictably will be harder to manage in the long run. And establish any new caregiving routines well before circumstances demand them.