How to Deal with a Parent who has Alzheimer’s Disease
It is tough when you have a parent who cannot recognize you anymore. It can be emotionally draining as well as physically exhausting. Alzheimer’s disease can rob your parent of the time that you two should be spending together. Losing your parent long before death this way is always cruel. You should first be able to accept your situation and know what to expect. You have to build yourself up emotionally and physically to care for your parent. Know what your role will be like and how you should take on that role.
Difficulties faced when dealing with a parent who has Alzheimer’s
Know that when you take care of a parent with Alzheimer’s disease, it will be like taking care of a young child. Someone afflicted with Alzheimer’s has forgotten most, and gradually all, of the skills and knowledge that they have learned through the years. It is not just a matter of not remembering things although that alone can be very difficult for the child. Not being recognized is the most difficult part of caring for your parent who is afflicted with Alzheimer’s. There is also the physical aspect of caring for somebody who has lost their motor skills. Like a child, an Alzheimer’s patient has trouble getting around by themselves. They forget how to brush and clean up. They forget how to feed themselves. The child has to assist the afflicted parent as a mother would a baby. This time though, the person to be assisted is much heavier and possibly even crankier.
Tips when caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s
You need a lot of patience when caring for your Alzheimer’s-ridden parent. Your parent needs all your understanding. Just remember that he or she does not really have any control of what is going on. Your parent does not mean for you to have a hard time; he or she has fallen ill with an incurable disease. You may need some tips from professional caregivers and nurses on how to deal with your sick parent. The best thing that you can do on your own is to imagine yourself in your parent’s position. Think of yourself forgetting just about everything that you used to know and have actually mastered. It can be quite frustrating. How do you want people to treat you when you feel helpless and frustrated? Communicate with your parent during each stage of care giving. Do not just give up on your parent. Verbalize what is going on. Do not expect your parent to be able to respond as he or she used to, however. As for your well-being, make sure you have somebody else changing shifts with you. It can get overwhelming and downright tiring to care for somebody afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Do not feel guilty if you get tired. Ask for help. This is not just for your own good but also for your parent’s good. You will not be able to provide high quality care when you are burned out.
The initial grief and shock over a diagnosis as devastating as Alzheimer’s should turn into clear-headedness. Your parent deserves high quality care. You need to be there for your parent physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Related Questions:
1. How should you behave as your parent’s main care giver?
2. Why is it important to take breaks when caring for somebody with Alzheimer’s?
3. What are the aspects of caring for somebody with Alzheimer’s that you should consider?
Alzheimer’s disease is really 1 of the most diseases that is so emotionally draining especially to the care givers or relatives of the patient. There are some medicines available in the market for controlling the disease process of but unfortunately this disease is not really curable. That is the worst part here when you know that 1 of your parents that has this Alzheimer’s disease will no longer get back from his or her original healthy state. Its really hard to accept that your love one is going to forget all of his memories including you and everyone in your family and eventually will die. This disease is the 6th most leading cause of death in the United States. Its also a tough job to be depended by the patient for all the things that he needs to survived. Some or almost all of the motor skills will be forgotten by the patient with Alzheimer’s disease. We all know that this will be really difficult but we can’t blame the person with this disease. Instead we must be patient and understanding for him. They need all the understanding and patience that the care giver can offer while they are suffering from this deadly disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is very common nowadays. Some old-aged people are suffering with this kind of disease due to their hereditary or weak immune system though until now no one can prove what the real main cause of this disease. A person with alzheimer’s disease is being take care of the immediate family. It is very much possible since the family is more aware with the needs of the patient. They could also be more sensitive as to how the patient would feel. However, families with more than enough money would rather hire a caregiver to assist the patient. Caregivers are also needed especially during the time the assigned family member takes the break. We should always consider those caregiver who has concern with the patient. Those who has a caring, understanding and wide patience personality is a plus. It is because a person with alzheimer’s disease would be acting like a child, their attitudes changes, some of them would be acting wild though some would act nice too. We can never predict their emotions. All we have to do to help them is to be there for them and understand. Through it we can still show them that despite of their disease they are still loved. The love that matters all the time.
Alzheimer’s disease manifests the symptoms of the disease such as the decline in cognition accompanied with a slowly progressing dementia, and the presence of Neurofibrillary tangles and Tau protein in the brain tissue. These patients need caretakers who have extended patience because they can act childish and even violent. Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease patients requires perseverance and dedication. You should have a way to get the patient’s attention to make them follow what you instruct like when to drink their medicines, where to go and comfort them when they will have mood swings like little children do.
It is important to take turns in looking after patients with Alzheimer’s disease because they have the tendency to forget there way, even inside the house. They also forget how things work like the stove, matches and this will sometimes result into accidents or injury to either the patient, other patients and even to you.
“As you sow so shall you reap”, an old saying that is experienced in real life. For my own opinion, Alzheimer’s disease relates to that saying. Parents with this disease may be forgotten by their sons or daughters. They do not spent time with each other, less caring, less importance.
Parents are stressful at this kind of life, where their sons and daughters have no time for them. Resulting to be emotionally stressed and physically tired. No time to eat well and have a happy heart. As parents grow older with this kind of life, a risk for any disease to have is very high.
Forgetting something or someone can be cured by reminding. Parents with Alzheimer’s disease needs more time for caring and accompany. Make something that they will remember you. Post your childhood and current pictures to walls of their bedrooms, in the kitchen and their favorite places in your home. If possible, make a video clip of your activities with your parents, and allow them to watch it everyday. This will lessen the effect of their Alzheimer’s disease.
So here it is,i just want to give tips and ideas to those who have suufered in their parents.Well this problem in order to deal with this is first we have two ways to solution (prevent and to cure).
First;in order to prevent this is we have to take not just more than vitamins and minerals but we need more enough ion in our body such as drinking alkaline water or ozonated water.ozonated water.Ozonated water has composed of 3 oxygen thus regular water is H20 the ozonated water is H203.So give them ozonated water to fill out less oxygen in their brain hence Alzheimer’s disease is lacking of oxygen in the brain.
It’s very hard when someone you love or as important as a family, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Lot’s of patience and understanding is needed. Hence, with all the effort we give to them, they will always a chance when we cannot hold on to our emotions anymore. I feel what you are writing and I’m glad that people like you are concerned to such issues.