Concerns about depression often arise for caregivers who have loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and rightfully so. Depression typically accompanies the onset of symptoms for either of these conditions, as individuals have difficulty coping with the fact that they’ve been diagnosed with a debilitating disease that will affect nearly every aspect of their [...]
Have you ever run into someone at an extended family gathering, business function, or other social event and found yourself at a loss for the name of someone you’ve previously met? Worse yet, did that person remember your name and a special detail about you even though you didn’t recognize him or her? If you [...]
Are you one of the millions of senior Americans who pay attention to health issues? As a younger adult—and now as a senior one—did exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, and take vitamins or other nutritional supplements on a daily basis? If so, then believe it or not, but you may [...]
Those with Alzheimer’s disease whose conditions have progressed to the later stages may ask to see loved ones who are no longer in their daily lives. For instance, many Alzheimer’s patients in their later stages—especially mothers—ask to see their children even though their children have grown-up, moved-out, and now live in faraway cities. They may [...]
Because individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia can regularly experience feelings of disorientation and confusion, they sometimes engage in behaviors that seem inappropriate to their surroundings. While some these behaviors—such as wandering—can result in circumstances most of us would prefer to avoid, other seemingly inappropriate behaviors—such as undressing—do not have as great a chance of causing [...]
As your loved one starts showing symptoms generally associated with the more advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, you’ll likely start to consider making some adjustments to the way you feed him or her. Since food may easily pocket in your loved one’s throat causing him or her to cough or even aspirate, you’ll probably want [...]
Routine plays an extremely important role in the day-to-day well being of your loved one. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses and impairs your loved one’s memory—preventing him or her from remembering basic things (such as names, faces, and even favorite places)—your loved one may experience elevated levels of stress or frustration. A series of daily routines [...]
Communication plays a tremendously important role in day to day life. Consider that when any of us experience anxiety, frustration, or aches and pain, we have the ability to communicate these feelings to our friends and loved ones to get the help we need. Many of us take the ability to communicate our needs for [...]
Since Alzheimer’s affects your loved one’s ability to remember words, phrases, and even every day names or faces, you’ll probably want to think about developing a communication style that takes these constraints into consideration. For instance, because your loved one can easily misinterpret words or phrases, to avoid any undue confusion you’ll likely want to [...]
The responsibility of caring for a loved one’s physical, emotional, and mental needs while also tending to his or her financial needs has the potential to be overwhelming. Those providing care for their loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may find comfort in the fact that they’re not alone in their struggle. According [...]