Advice Alzheimer?s Caregivers Need to Know

Posted by AlzCottages on June 22nd, 2016

Caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease is a journey that will take many turns along the way. While making certain the loved one gets the care and attention required will be the prime focus, those who step in to assist family or friends living with this condition need to have strategies available to help make their labor of love easier to endure.

There are a number of strategies caregivers can employ to help them ease the tensions of the job. Here are just a few tips that can help make providing day-to-day care and interactions go more smoothly:

• Tailor communication to the stage of Alzheimer’s – Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive form of dementia that will ultimately impact a loved one’s ability to communicate. Caregivers can help themselves by tailoring their communication strategies to the stage in question. In the very early stages, communication will normally remain relatively unchanged. As the disease progresses, however, verbal communication may become more difficult. Selecting the right choice of words, tone of voice and even body language may assist in the later stages.

• Have a plan for coping with paranoia, delusions and hallucinations – These things may all present in people who are living with Alzheimer’s. If the situation isn’t distressing, it is often best to simply go along. Should distress be present, however, caregivers can help by acknowledging the fear and taking steps to eliminate any triggers. Medication may sometimes be advisable.

• Stay calm – When a loved one living with Alzheimer’s becomes angry or agitated, the situation can be overwhelming for the caregiver. The best bet in this case is to stay calm and avoid getting angry personally. Try to consider the source of the agitation and address it instead. If illness or pain is a concern, consult doctors. Should noting appear to be out of order, a distraction, such as food or a walk, may help.

• Don’t forget personal care – All too often, caregivers sacrifice their own well-being for their loved ones. It is important to take time out to recharge. Adult daycares, respite care and in advanced cases residential memory care facilities may provide the assistance required to ensure the loved one and the caregiver are both properly taken care of.

Taking care of a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease is a labor of love. Adopting smart strategies can make this often difficult undertaking a little bit easier to cope with. Caregivers also do need to remember they don’t stand alone. Help is available when they need it.

About Author
The Cottages have been operating in Texas since 1997 and are family owned and operated by The Cottages Senior Living. The Cottages are state-of-the-art certified assisted living residences for people living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders.