Overwhelmed? Here are Some Tips for Caring for your Loved One who has Alzheimer's!

There’s a good chance that you haven’t undergone the difficulties of Alzheimer’s before, so you might have difficulty knowing how to help your loved one with their day-to-day living. With a disorder that affects your life in almost every way imaginable, you can expect to make a lot of changes in order to help you loved one to function as best as possible.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you make adjustments for your loved one’s memory care:

Stick to a Schedule

The more your loved one can predict how a day will go, the less confused they will get. Try to gauge the times of day when your parent or spouse tends to be in a good mood, and schedule out-of-ordinary tasks for the times they are in a better moood (doctor visits and non-daily events).

Limit Choices to Help Quicken Decisions

Decision-making can be severely hindered by Alzheimer’s, so make the decisions easier. Don’t ask: “What do you want to do right now?” as this open-ended question could overwhelm your loved one. Instead, ask: “Do you want to go for a walk or watch a film?” with fewer, specific choices, they still get a say in the matter, but they won’t have to spend too much time riffling through possibilities in their head.

Take Things Slowly

Decisions, conversations, simple tasks and more will become more difficult for your loved one. So, expect things to take longer and for simple tasks to require explanation. It can get frustrating, but you will get used to it. Try not to show your frustration!

Employ Extra Safety Measures

Water temperature, medications trip/fall hazards, etc. can increase the risk of injury for an individual with Alzheimer’s. So, reduce the boiler temperature, lock the medicine cabinet and take measures to limit the risk of tripping.

Avoid Overstimulation

With Alzheimer’s it’s difficult enough to focus on one thing. Adding additional distractions only makes it worse. Television, radio and other background noises can severely hinder your loved one’s ability to have a conversation, eat dinner or play games. This will only add to their frustration, as well as your own.

Know Your Alternatives

If you are trying all these tricks, and still are overwhelmed, know that there are alternatives out there.  A great resource is the Alzheimer's Association.  They can help guide you through some difficult decisions.  Also, Tennyson Court offers years of experience.  Whether you need a short respite for your loved one, or are looking for a more permanent home for their care, we offer over 15 years of expereince in Memory Care-which  makes us one of the leaders in this area. Give us a call today for more information: 716-389-1010 or simply, TryTennyson.com.