Caregiving for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease

I’d like to briefly give an overview of what Alzheimer’s is. It is a disease that damages the brain and causes loss of memory, and affects your daily activities, how you think, act, and speak. If you have a loved one affected by the disease, you know what I am talking about. As a caregiver or even as a relative there are many things that you can do to assist your loved one.

If your loved one is in the first stages, you can start by helping them  make decisions about their future. This includes a living will and power of attorney. As the disease progresses, they may need help dressing, eating, etc. You can do this yourself, but it will be a full time job.And so, you may want to look into local nursing homes, or home nurses who can help. There are many home health providers who can come and cook, clean, and assist your loved one in taking their medicine and baths etc. This can alleviate  a lot for you as the caregiver.There are also little things you can do such as making lists of actions and activities your loved one needs to do throughout the day and leaving it somewhere they can read it.

I once read a letter to editor from a woman whose mother had Alzheimer’s disease. She said that she printed little cards up that read “my mother has Alzheimer’s disease and if any situations occur, please allow me to take care of it. I am sorry for the inconvenience.” This sounds like a smart idea because many of the times, patients with Alzheimer’s can become erratic, which is not at all blamable considering what they go through. It is a very scary thing to be suddenly surrounded by people you don’t know, at a place you don’t know.

It is sometimes more helpful to go along with your loved one in their beliefs rather than trying to make them realize who they are, where they are, and who you are. This will scare the person and be frustrating for you. It is better to sometimes agree, although at times painful for you.

If you are a caregiver or relative to someone with this disease you need to have your own support system. There is a lot of stress that comes with this and in some cities there are support groups for caregivers. You can often forget to take care of yourself while caring for someone else. But taking care of yourself is key to taking care of them. The emotional distress is also hard. It can be difficult to have a parent or relative forget who you are. But you must have understanding, patience, and as mentioned, your own support group. This can include other family members, friends, mental health professionals, and support groups. It is difficult to do this alone and it can often help to have someone who can step in for you when needed. I also suggest researching the disease as much as possible to prepare yourself for the commitment you are making.