ALZHEIMER'S: CAREGIVING 101

By: Beth Polazzo-Caring Today Magazine LLC

Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at home is a difficult task and can become overwhelming as well as heartbreaking at times. Research has shown that caregivers themselves often are at increased risk for depression and illness, especially if they do not receive adequate support from family, friends, and the community.

When the patient is first diagnosed, they are often reluctant to admit even having the disease — it's easier to blame forgetfulness and other strange behaviors on aging, stress or anything else besides AD. For the caregiver, the job goes from normal day-to-day living to watching and helping a loved one become someone they never married or even knew. One of the biggest struggles caregivers face is dealing with the difficult behaviors of the person they are caring for. Dressing, bathing, eating-basic activities of daily living-often become difficult to manage for both the person with AD and the caregiver.

Dealing with the Diagnosis
According to the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center, finding out that a loved one has AD can be stressful, frightening, and overwhelming. As you begin to take stock of the situation, here are some tips that may help:

Ask the doctor any questions you have and discuss what treatments might work best to alleviate symptoms or address behavior problems.

Contact organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center for more information about the disease, treatment options, and caregiving resources. Find a support group where you can share your feelings and concerns.

Consider using adult day care or respite services to ease the day-to-day demands of caregiving.
Begin to plan for the future. This may include getting financial and legal documents in order, investigating long-term care options, and determining what services are covered by health insurance and Medicare.

You will find that as the disease progresses, you and your loved one must find new ways to do the things that you have long taken for granted. Everything from communicating, bathing, dressing, eating, day-to-day activities and exercise become increasingly more difficult. Some of the most stressful times for the caregiver arise when the patient has to surrender the car keys, experiences incontinence, has trouble sleeping (when you are ready to fall over in exhaustion), suffers from hallucinations or delusions, wanders away from home or, like a youngster, has no regard for home safety.

Although getting there might prove to be a monumental effort, it is important that the person with AD receive regular medical care since some symptoms or behaviors may be due to an illness that is not related to AD.

Not to be overlooked is your health and well-being. The mental, physical and emotional demands that you face on a daily basis are daunting. There is help available—and it comes in many different ways but you need to accept the fact that you are only one person and there are only 24-hours in a 7-day week. Just the pressure of knowing that "you can't get sick" can make you a nervous wreck. It is NOT a sign of weakness, incompetence or negligence to cry "uncle." In fact, it's normal to be overwhelmed.

What should you do for yourself?
When someone offers help, take it.
When you need a break, ask someone to step in.
Take time for you and your needs—go for a walk, go to a concert, play cards or just get a massage. The world will go on and nothing will happen if you plan a little bit ahead. Line up a few volunteer caregivers; you'll be surprised at how willing people really are to lend you a hand.
Think about adult day care offerings.
Consider community resources that can range from financial to emotional support.
Talk to a therapist—or a friend who makes you laugh.
If you aren't physically strong enough to lift your patient or even the groceries, try asking a neighbor or neighbor's son for help. And if it's really an emergency, the police or fire departments will be more than willing to literally lend a helping hand.
When you are feeling so frustrated that you want to scream, walk out the door and yell or pound your fist into something soft (walls are not soft!).
Don't ignore your physical ailments hoping that they'll go away. They won't. See a healthcare professional and stop diagnosing your aches and pains.
If you can afford it, pay for a professional caregiver. They are angels disguised as mere mortals.
When your patient seems to be close to death, call for hospice help. You have no idea how comforting it can be to put some of your concerns in their more-than-capable hands.
And don't forget about those "little" things, like eating and sleeping!

~Serena Brock