Alzheimer’s is a mysterious and dreadful condition. It affects a person’s memory, and it affects the families of people who have it. It is the most common form of dementia. To put it in even worse terms, this disease is incurable. The disease has been discovered for more than a hundred years now, but unfortunately no one has invented a fool proof medicine to combat it. It is also degenerative, and it is also a terminal disease. To have a loved one who has Alzheimer’s is definitely a financial and emotional battle. But we can do something about it before it takes control of our loved ones. (more…)

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Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be an emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting experience. It’s hard and painful enough to watch a loved one slowly diminish before your eyes, but meeting the special needs of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s can be a frustrating and taxing ordeal.

The key to providing Alzheimer’s care is a combination of structure and flexibility. You should strive to keep the life of an Alzheimer’s sufferer as structured as possible, providing a regular schedule for most daily activities, but at the same time you have to be flexible enough to deal with your loved one’s steadily declining ability to function and cope.

As your loved one’s Alzheimer’s progresses, he or she will become more frustrated and irritable as he or she becomes increasingly unable to perform once-simple tasks. The challenge to the person providing Alzheimer’s care is to keep his or her own cool and not become agitated or frustrated by the Alzheimer’s sufferers behavior.

Good planning can reduce incidents that can frustrate or annoy the Alzheimer’s patient, making it easier for the caregiver to deal with him or her. For example, caregivers should schedule events and activities wisely, picking the times of day when their loved one is most at ease to take care of medical appointments, trips to the store or grooming activities. Keeping a regular schedule helps eliminate confusion for the Alzheimer’s patient, making them easier to manage.

While a structured orderly schedule is important, you should remember that most tasks will take longer than before. Your schedule should be a set of guidelines, not an inflexible time table set in stone.

While you must do many things for your loved one, you should also try to let him or her remain as independent as safely possible. By allowing them to handle some of their affairs, you reduce their frustration at being treated like a child and you may also be providing some mental activity that may help mitigate the progression of their illness.

Another good tip for Alzheimer’s care is to limit your loved one’s choices. For example, instead of asking them what they want to eat for dinner, give them just two or three things to choose from.

Because of Alzheimer’s impact on its patients ability to think and solve problems, safety will eventually become an issue. You’ll probably need to Alzheimer’s-proof your home by making some safety modifications such as removing throw rugs, coffee tables, lengthy electrical cords and other things your loved one may trip over. You’ll also need to install safety locks on cabinets that store potentially dangerous items such as chemicals, tools and firearms. Another good idea is to set your water heater temperature to less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid scalding burns from hot water. You’ll need to keep a fully stocked first aid kit too, to handle any minor injuries that may arise.

With careful planning and forethought, Alzheimer’s care can be made more pleasant and less frustrating. While it’s never easy to care for someone with Alzheimer’s, a little effort can make it bearable.

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