vendredi 4 avril 2014

Caring For A Parent With Alzheimer's

By Kristana Jenson


There are more than 26 million people in the world who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and are suffering from some level of memory loss and confusion. While the people with the disease certainly are affected negatively, the caregivers also must deal with the stress of helping a parent who often doesn't even recognize them. People with this common form of dementia also can become quite angry and even aggressive toward caregivers.

Typically the disease progresses in stages, and the early stages can be difficult because while you might encourage your parent or spouse to visit a doctor and see if Alzheimer's is the cause of their issues, the person is obviously quite fearful of hearing the diagnosis and might resist seeing a medical professional. Once the diagnosis has been made, many patients become understandably angry and fearful and might lash out at loved ones.

While it might seem difficult, it is best to disassociate yourself from the anger and understand that this angry comes from fear and while you also are facing the loss of a dear parent, their comments and anger truly are not personal. This person is simply scared and frustrated. One way to soothe your loved one is do reduce stress as much as possible. You can get rid of extra clutter in the home and paint the walls a soothing hue. Keep them away from loud social situations and crowds, which can be very overwhelming. When you notice the person's anxiety begins to rise, speak in soft, comforting, but firm tones. They are scared, so you need to show them that you are in control and everything will be fine.

When people lose their memory, they ask a lot of questions or become confused about the year or the people in their life that are still alive. Rather than argue with them and insist that "Cousin Sally passed away years ago," simply ask them about the person in question. What are they like? What do you like to do together? It doesn't help to argue. When they ask where they are and what they are doing there, simply respond in a calm way that they are very safe and loved and then change the subject to provide them something cheerful to focus on, such as telling them that you have a cookie and milk for them or that you are going to read to them.

In many cases, dementia has progressed to a point where providing care is extremely difficult and stressful. In addition, many people simply cannot accommodate a parent safely in their home. At this point, you probably need to find a good eldercare facility for your parent or spouse. Many facilities specialize in helping people with memory issues and are trained to deal with all aspects of Alzheimer's. Finding a facility can be tricky, so consider talking to the staff at CarePlacement.com to find out about your options.

Your budget will be a major factor in which type of facility that you choose. Typically assisted living homes and board & care homes are more expensive than nursing homes because these skilled nursing facilities do accept Medi-Cal while the other two options do not. At CarePlacement.com, the team of eldercare specialists will look at all of the facilities in your area that meet your needs and provide you with a list of suitable, pre-screened places to consider.




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