How do you get dementia and Alzheimer's care at home in Houston?

Most families in Houston keep a parent with dementia at home by building care in layers: a trained caregiver for a few hours on the hardest days, then longer shifts, then overnight or 24-hour coverage as the disease progresses. The goal is the same at every stage: a predictable routine, a safe house, and family members who are not running on empty. StacieJ Cares Private Caregivers, a west Houston service led by La'stacia Brown, is one local option that lists dementia and Alzheimer's support among its non-medical home care services.

What in-home dementia care actually covers

Dementia care at home is mostly non-medical. It is help with the activities of daily living and, just as important, supervision. A caregiver trained for memory loss typically:

• Keeps the day on a steady routine: the same wake-up time, meals, walk, rest and bedtime.
• Helps with bathing, dressing, toileting and grooming in a calm, step-by-step way that protects dignity.
• Prepares meals and watches that your parent actually eats and drinks.
• Gives medication reminders (not injections or medical procedures).
• Redirects agitation or repeated questions instead of arguing or correcting.
• Prevents wandering and falls: locks, night lights, clear walkways, and staying close.
• Writes a short note after each shift: sleep, mood, food, bathroom, anything new.

What it does not cover is skilled nursing. Wound care, injections, IV therapy and similar tasks belong to licensed nurses or a home health agency, usually on a doctor's order. For the full line between companion care, personal care and medical care, see what a private caregiver actually does.

Matching care to the stage

The Alzheimer's Association describes dementia in early, middle and late stages, and the right amount of help changes with each one.

Early stage: a few hours, a few days a week

Your parent may still dress and eat alone but is missing appointments, repeating stories or struggling with bills and cooking. A companion caregiver for three or four mornings a week can drive to appointments, cook, keep a calendar, and give you an honest second pair of eyes. Starting early also lets your parent get used to one caregiver while they can still build the relationship, which makes the later stages much easier.

Middle stage: longer shifts and personal care

This is usually the longest stage and the most demanding. Expect help with bathing and toileting, more confusion late in the day, and the first signs of wandering. The Alzheimer's Association says six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do so repeatedly. This is the point where many families move to daily shifts and add nights.

Late stage: overnight, 24-hour or live-in

Your parent may need help with every activity, transfers from bed to chair, and someone awake at night. Families typically choose between rotating 24-hour shifts and a live-in arrangement. Our guides on 24-hour and overnight care and live-in caregivers explain the difference and the cost logic. If hospice becomes appropriate, a private caregiver can keep working alongside the hospice team.

Questions to ask any dementia caregiver

1. What dementia-specific training have you had, and when?
2. Tell me about a time someone with dementia refused a bath or tried to leave. What did you do?
3. How do you handle sundowning, the late-afternoon agitation many families see?
4. Will the same caregiver come each time? Who covers if they are sick?
5. How will you report to us after each shift: a notebook, a text, a call?
6. What will you not do? (A good answer: anything medical, and anything outside the written care plan.)
7. Can I see your screening in writing: background check, references, and any certifications?

Consistency matters more in dementia care than almost anywhere else. A rotating cast of strangers can raise anxiety and refusals. Ask directly how a provider keeps the same faces in the house.

Making the house dementia-safe

Houston homes bring their own risks: pools, busy streets, summer heat, and flooding. A simple safety pass before care starts:

• Door chimes or alarms on exterior doors and pool gates; keep car keys out of sight.
• Night lights from bedroom to bathroom; remove loose rugs.
• Stove knob covers or an automatic shut-off; lock away cleaning products, firearms and extra medications.
• A recent photo and a list of places your parent might walk to, in case they wander. The Alzheimer's Association advises searching nearby right away and calling 911 if the person is not found within 15 minutes.
• Keep the house cool and push fluids in summer; people with dementia may not notice thirst or heat.
• A hurricane and power-outage plan that includes the caregiver: who stays, who drives, where medications go.

Paying for dementia care at home

Be ready for most of it to be private pay. Medicare lists custodial care, help with daily living such as bathing and dressing when that is the only care needed, and 24-hour-a-day care at home among the services it does not cover. Medicare may cover short-term skilled home health when a doctor orders it.

For a national benchmark, the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the median rate for non-medical caregiver services at $35 an hour, up 3% from 2024. Local rates vary with hours, nights, and how much hands-on help is needed, so get a written quote. Other sources families use:

• Long-term care insurance: check the elimination period and whether a cognitive impairment diagnosis triggers benefits.
• Veterans benefits: the VA offers caregiver support and respite for eligible veterans.
• Texas Medicaid long-term services, for those who qualify financially and medically.
• Family cost-sharing: siblings who live away often pay for shifts while the local sibling coordinates.

Our Houston caregiver cost guide walks through how hours add up week to week.

Free dementia help in Houston

• Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline: 800-272-3900. Free, any hour, for caregiving questions and crisis moments.
• Alzheimer's Association Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter. Covers greater Houston with education programs and support groups.
• Harris County Area Agency on Aging: 832-393-4301. Information and respite services for caregivers of adults 60 and older.
• Your parent's doctor or a memory clinic, for diagnosis, medication review, and help planning ahead.

Red flags

• A caregiver who argues with or corrects your parent constantly.
• No written notes, or vague answers about what happened on a shift.
• Someone who offers to manage medications beyond reminders, or any medical task.
• Pressure to pay in cash, sign a long contract immediately, or hand over bank access.
• Unexplained bruises, weight loss, a sudden change in mood, or missing money or valuables.

Where StacieJ Cares fits

StacieJ Cares Private Caregivers is a non-medical in-home care service based at 11221 Richmond Ave. #C108 in west Houston and led by owner La'stacia Brown. Her company's website says she spent more than 20 years in medical work before starting the business and that its trained CNA and caregiver staff help with bathing, dressing, bathroom needs, light housekeeping, groceries, medication reminders and errands. The service lists dementia and Alzheimer's support, overnight and 24-hour care, live-in care and respite across Houston, River Oaks, Memorial, Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands and Pearland.

Before care starts, ask for the details in writing: rates and minimum shift lengths, how caregivers are screened and trained for dementia, how the same caregiver is kept on your parent's schedule, and how backup coverage works.

If your parent is living with dementia and you want them to stay home, call StacieJ Cares at (832) 248-9136 or email staci@stacijcares.com and describe what a normal day looks like now. That conversation is the fastest way to find out what level of care fits.

Questions people ask

Does Medicare pay for in-home dementia care?

Not for day-to-day supervision and help with bathing or dressing when that is the only care needed. Medicare lists custodial care and 24-hour-a-day care at home among the services it does not cover. Medicare can cover short-term skilled home health when a doctor orders it and other conditions are met.

When does someone with dementia need care around the clock?

Common signs are getting up and wandering at night, leaving the stove on, falls, missed medications, or a family caregiver who is no longer sleeping. Many families move from day shifts to overnight coverage first, then to 24-hour or live-in care.

What should a dementia caregiver know how to do?

Redirect instead of argue, keep a steady routine, help with bathing and toileting with dignity, spot changes such as new confusion or pain, prevent wandering, and write down what happened each shift so the family and doctor see patterns.

Is there free dementia help in Houston?

Yes. The Alzheimer's Association runs a free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 and has a Houston & Southeast Texas chapter. The Harris County Area Agency on Aging (832-393-4301) offers information and respite services for caregivers of adults 60 and older.

Can StacieJ Cares help with dementia?

StacieJ Cares lists dementia and Alzheimer's support among its non-medical services in the Houston area. Ask La'stacia Brown how her caregivers are trained for dementia, how shifts are covered, and what rates apply, and get the answers in writing.

Sources and further reading

• Alzheimer's Association: 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900)
• Alzheimer's Association: Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter
• Alzheimer's Association: Stages and behaviors
• Alzheimer's Association: Wandering
• Medicare: Home health services (what is not covered)
• Harris County Area Agency on Aging (Houston Health Department)
• CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025

StacieJ Cares Private Caregivers is a paid Business Spotlight client of The Company Chronicle. This guide was written by our editorial team from public sources. Rates, availability and services are set by the provider; confirm them directly before care begins. Nothing here is medical, legal or tax advice.