Care giving for Alzheimer Patients. How to cope.Coping with Alzheimer’s disease is difficult for the patient, as well as the care provider. If you are taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease, it is nice to know help is available. It isn’t easy to be a caregiver for Alzheimer’s patients. A caregiver needs to be a special person and be able to work with all kinds of changes on a daily basis. Health issues are always rising at all hours of the day in older adults with this disease. A caregiver needs to be able to monitor and beware of these changes as they occur. When monitoring these changes a journal needs to be kept so that whoever is caring will be aware of the changes so they can continue whatever care has already been done. Taking notes will help you to recall specific areas that helped you the best deal with your patient. A daily routine needs to be in order so the patient doesn’t get confused. For instance, if you cook three meals a day, try to maintain a scheduled time each day. Not only does the patient have changes in memory, such as loss. The patient will also have mood shifts, or behavior alterations. Their health changes rapidly at times as well. Keep track of their eating habits; how and what they eat, weight change, activities, sleep patterns and bowel movements are very important to their well-being. A list of medication changes, weather or not they refused to take them, and how they reacted after taking the medication is ideal. When a journal is kept and complete it help the next caregiver to know how and what to look for if there is something different going on that might need to be attended to by a physician. Speaking of caregivers, it is idea to keep the same caregiver, since the change may threaten the patient. Knowing the daily routine the Alzheimer’s patient will be more comfortable and sometimes they don’t get so confused with what is happening to them. It is frustrating to know that your memories are perishing along with your brain and body. Alzheimer’s disease causes the skin to change, which a rash or abrasions need to be watched out for, since it can lead to complications. Lying in one position could cause an abrasion; medication changes could cause a rash. Be sure that the patient gets a lot of liquids so they don’t dehydrate, Keeping track on the bathroom habits as well is very important to make sure they are going. A bathroom routine habit may need to be set up; sometimes the Alzheimer’s patient will see him or herself in the mirror and think there is someone in there. It will trigger the emotion and cause a reaction. Alzheimer’s patients have sleep disorders as well sometimes. A regular bedtime is very important. Try to put the patient in bed at the same hour each night. Do the activities or exercise in the morning instead of at night to get their adrenaline slowed down before bedtime. When putting them to bed make sure, they are comfortable; put pillows around them, under their knees or wherever one is needed to help relieve joint pain. Try to keep the temperature in the household the same and at a comfortable setting. Sometimes the patient can’t tell you if they are hot or cold. Keep in mind that Alzheimer’s disease causes drops and increases in body temperature, since areas of the brain are damaged. Most of all, the caregiver needs to take care of them in order to care for the person who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Finding caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease
One of the most dreaded diseases in old age is Alzheimer’s disease. Although unlike cancer and heart problem, this is actually not fatal. In fact, people with Alzheimer’s can live for a long time with proper care. That is actually the problem most of the time.
With Alzheimer’s disease, the patient need to be taken cared of all the time. This is because the memory loss will often render the patient incapable of thinking and reasoning. Some will even forget how to do the simplest of tasks, like brushing their teeth and even eating with a spoon and fork. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and degenerative disease that affects the brain. The problem often leads to massive memory loss not only in terms of one’s memories but also one’s learning. Patients will forget everything that they have learned even routinary tasks that they have learned when they were just tots. Some people will also find it hard to learn new things and may even lose their language abilities. They will have difficulties in their speech and in their writing.
Because of this, caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease can be extremely difficult. It is actually like caring for a newborn babe but while a baby will slowly learn to function independently, patients with Alzheimer’s will lose what they have learned and will slowly become more and more dependent with their caregivers. Thus, it is important to find a caregiver that is both professionally-capable and caring as they will determine the progress that the patient will have as well as their over all condition and behavior. Here are some tips in finding a good caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient.
Choose a professional
It is good to look for a person that is already well experienced in caring for people with Alzheimer’s. Not only will their experience come in handy when it comes to dealing with the patient’s medicines and medical routines, they will also be more patient because of prior knowledge. One problem though in hiring these kinds of people is the money that you will shell out for their salaries. Private nurses and caregivers are expensive enough as it is without adding the burden of a specialization. If you just cannot afford to hire someone with enough experience, try one who has worked with old people and then give him or her materials that will make them familiar with the basics of the disease. Choose someone you know Nothing beats hiring someone that you already know or someone that you have already seen working. Patients with Alzheimer’s will have a lot of quirks and behavior that can be extremely irritating and difficult to deal with. Thus, it is important that you choose someone that you know will have a lot of patience and care. Of course, if a member of the family can spare the time for the patient, that is good. If not, you can ask for recommendations from people that you know. Chances are they know someone who can take care of a patient with Alzheimer’s. Choose someone strong Although this is actually not a major issue, it is also important that you choose someone who can deal with the patient and the often back breaking tasks. Remember that because the patient is full- dependent on the person, they will sometimes need to carry them or guide them when walking. | ||||||
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