Caregving
Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s disease
Giving care to a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is not an easy role to assume. While the patient maintains a certain amount of independence, their needs are impacted emotionally, physically and economically. The caregiver needs to have a firm understanding of the symptoms, treatment, and progression of the disease as well as access to local resources they may use while providing care. By properly managing the disease, the quality of life for both the caregiver and the Alzheimer’s patient can improve.
Because the progression of Alzheimer’s disease occurs at different rates in different people, each person’s needs vary. As a caregiver, it is important to understand and act according to your own physical and emotional limitations. Be sure to take care of yourself, and allow yourself periods of rest and relaxation. Listed below are general care suggestions taken from the WebMD site (http://www.webmd.com).
Basic Caregiving Tips
- Physical exercise, proper nutrition, good general health, and socialization are important for the Alzheimer’s patient.
- Plan daily activities to help provide structure, meaning, and a sense of accomplishment for the patient. It is always best to establish a routine with which the person can become familiar.
- Choose times to do activities according to the part of the day when the person is usually at his/her best.
- As functions are lost, adapt activities and routines to allow the person with Alzheimer’s to participate as much as possible.
- Keep activities familiar and satisfying. Make sure instructions are simple.
- Allow the person with Alzheimer’s disease to complete as many things as possible by him or herself, even if the activity needs to be initiated by the caregiver.
- Provide "cues" for desired behavior. For example, if you label a drawer according to what it should contain, the person is more likely to put things in the correct place.
- Keep the individual with Alzheimer’s disease out of harm’s way by removing things that could be dangerous. For example, hide car keys and matches. Also try to keep the environment safe. Remember: what appears safe to you, may not be safe for a person with Alzheimer’s disease.
Be patient. Caregiving can be frustrating at times. Keep in mind that the person is not intentionally being difficult. Also, be willing to adjust caregiving practices as the disease progresses.
