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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Taking Care of a Alzheimer's Loved one

Alzheimer’s disease is the type of dementia that is more frequently seen among the older population. It is characterized by a worsening of the person’s cognition, particularly in thought, memory and in language, a progressive decline in his ability to perform activities of daily living and may even be accompanied by changes in his behavior.

Dealing with Alzheimer’s can be very stressful for the individual as well as for his loved ones. The progression of the disease may render the person in need of total care as it affects even the most basic skills necessary for his daily existence.

Let’s take mealtimes, for example. For a person with Alzheimer’s, even nutrition may pose as challenge. There are normal physiologic changes that come with aging, such as a diminished sense of taste and smell, and indeed, these may affect the individual’s desire to eat. But when dealing with Alzheimer’s, the person may even forget to eat or in other cases, he may want to eat but has forgotten how to prepare meals.

Through the course of the disease, he may eventually lose his table manners and may have difficulty in swallowing. Agitation and distractibility may also develop. To alleviate these problems, caregivers would often find it necessary to call their loved ones to remind them to eat or instruct them step by step on how to prepare meals.

Small, frequent meals are more in line, and finger foods that are high in calories would be provided. Decreasing the environmental stimuli, by taking extra utensils off the table and using bright, solid-colored plates may address the easy distractibility. And to encourage self- care, the person may be provided with spoons with large handles rather than forks and bowls rather than plates.

Nutrition is just one of the many hurdles when dealing with Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s disease often need assistance with other activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting and changing.

It is necessary to balance this need for assistance with as much independence as possible. The caregiver must allow the person to do as much as he can while providing the least amount of help. For this, patience and flexibility are crucial.

Dealing with Alzheimer’s can be fulfilling for the caregiver but can be as draining as well. Losing a loved one in this way is heartbreaking. Dealing with Alzheimer’s is one of the most difficult jobs in the world as one may tend to lose sight of his own needs as he cares for his loved one.

When in stressful situations, one needs to take even better care of oneself. It is in these circumstances that people often realize how strong they could really be for their loved ones.

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