Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s
More often than not, the primary caregiver of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease might be a loved one, an adult child, a spouse, or a close companion. Caregiving at some point can be extremely demanding, even in the early stages of the condition.
Therefore, caregiving needs flexible and understanding people to deal with changes in the behavior and personality of their loved one.
At the same time, they must be able to communicate with family and friends, as well as professionals about his or her illness. That is why facilities for Alzheimer’s offer the best care for your loved one.
Caring for People with Alzheimer’s
It can be equally a stressful and demanding ordeal to care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. If you are a caregiver or if someone you know is, it is essential to know that they too have human needs and emotions.
This means that they also must care for themselves aside from their loved ones. Thus, in order to cope with the strain of caregiving, you must allow yourself to feel different emotions, such as negative feelings, as well as express them and deal with them. This makes a caregiver working at facilities for Alzheimer’s even more challenging.
Caregiver Emotions
- Anger. This emotion can be transformed into positive energy. Thus, you can clean a closet, talk with someone, or take a walk.
- Frustration. Stop anything that you are doing and take a deep breath, then start to do a different activity.
- Take time out. Sit in your favorite chair inside a quiet room, spend a few hours with friends, or take a trip to the store.
- Ask for help. If you are looking for resource services, find out more from family, friends, or local agencies. In this case, it is good to know some clergy and doctors’ offices offer referrals.
- Identify your limits. Since you are a valuable person, you need to take care of yourself as well.
- Make mistakes. Mistakes will help you learn since nobody is perfect.
- Grieve. It is natural to be sad over the loss of anything that used to be.
- Hope. It is good to know that tomorrow is another opportunity to make it go smoother. Perhaps a new friend may reach out for you or new treatments will be discovered.
- Laugh and love. It is always important to have meaningful connections.
Challenges of Caring For Alzheimer’s
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Loneliness and isolation
- Overwhelming emotions due to the decrease of a loved one’s capabilities
- Work and financial complications
Rewards of Alzheimer’s Care
- Attachment with the patient will deepen through care, companionship, and service
- Skills in problem-solving and relationship will improve
- New relationships will be formed through support groups
- Development of unexpected rewards through acceptance and compassion
Tips to Care for Patients with Alzheimer’s
- Prepare for future challenges, reduce frustration, and foster reasonable expectations
- Develop a personal support plan by balancing your task of caring for a cognitively-impaired adult with your other responsibilities
- Cope with changes in communication, including trouble finding words and increased hand gestures, among others
- Develop daily routines to help caregiving run smoothly
- Deal with problem behaviors and personality changes properly
- Make time to reflect to make it easier to accept what is happening to your loved one.
You can help a family member caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia at facilities for Alzheimer’s by offering your time to help out and support them.
Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead
