The Significance of Family in
Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Aside
from nurses, caregivers, and other hired professionals, the family plays a
crucial role in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s.
As an elder loved one slowly loses his or her ability to plan, decide, and
provide for one’s self, the family takes the immediate responsibility that all
varied roles for the ailing elder is taken proper care of. These roles may vary
from being a daughter/son, grandchild to a friend, family-giver, legal
guardian, financial planner, therapist, medical decision maker, and so on.
Hence,
there is a need to define how a decision making process for the elder is
addressed, may it be through consensus building or majority rule. Nevertheless,
the overall welfare of the elder must be put in proper perspective.
Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
For
a family to make a clear and unified decision making on the health status of
their elder, there is a need to identify some early signs of Alzheimer’s. This
will also help guide the healthcare provider in addressing the stage of the
disease: mild, moderate, or severe.
1.
Repeating
the same story, over and over. And yet denying that such story has ever been
said.
2.
Asking
the same questions over and over again, especially on crucial questions such
as: Where is my brother? (He died several years ago.); What is your name? (I am
your Rob, your son Mom.); Have you eaten? Grab a bite of my cookies. (Mom, we’ve
just finished lunch!)
3.
Forgetting
how to do important activities of daily living (ADL) or activities that are pretty
much familiar to your elder such as: eating, cooking, bathing, dressing,
driving, typing, making repairs, playing poker, and so on.
4.
Misplacing
various things, from household objects to important activities such as
birthdays, events, etc.
5.
Relying
on somebody else to make decisions or answer queries that are your elder should
have been very familiar in dealing with.
These
early warning signs must never be taken for granted or dismissed as
unimportant. Never, ever ignore early warning signs. Memory issues are a big
deal, especially if your senior citizen is not one to keep on forgetting
things. Also, denial is a big chunk of dismissal. Denial is also equated to
fear of the disease. It is really tough to deal with. But in embracing the
disease, the family also chooses to embrace life and the reality that comes
with it.
Simple Tips for Handling Seniors with
Alzheimer’s
As
a family member who is in the early stage of discovering that your loved one has
Alzheimer’s disease, there is a need to understand that there is still some bit
of denial on the part of your elder. The following “NEVER” rules MUST be
ABSOLUTELY practiced and followed. Otherwise, you are not helping your elder
cope with Alzheimer’s. Instead, you are just worsening your elder’s chances of
accepting the realities of Alzheimer’s.
NEVER
…lecture. Instead, REASSURE your elder
that everything is alright.
…shame. Instead, DISTRACT your elder from
such shameful acts such as peeing on one’s pants, forgetting where to go, not
remembering who the person is, and so on. In the first place, it is hard for
them remember things. Shaming them only worsens how they feel, and their
present state of being.
…argue. Instead, AGREE with what your
senior citizen is saying even if you have heard it all before. Agree to all
things, even if they have unwittingly twisted some facts and figures. By
agreeing, you are allowing them to slowly remember things at their own
progressive will. By agreeing, a spacious room is positively provided for
cognitive development.
…command. Instead, always ASK them for
something. Positive reinforcement allows them to feel less burdened with
remembering the world around them.
…demand. Instead, set an EXAMPLE or
pattern for them. By setting an example, elders can remember how things must be
done the way they used to do it. By patterning them with their daily
activities, family members and caregivers help senior citizens remember and
perform daily tasks one at a time, everyday, until the rest of their lives.
…remember. Instead, always tell them to
REMINISCE the past. Elders are a bit touchy with the word “remember”. By
sobering up a bit with your word use, you help them lessen their burden on
“remembering” things.
…reason. Instead, DIVERT their attention
on something less trivial and stressful for them. Reasoning with your seniors
do not help their battle with Alzheimer’s. It could only worsen their anxiety,
depression, cognitive development, and ability to positively strive and focus
on dealing with the disease.
…say
“You can’t”. Instead, ask them to DO what
they CAN and are supposed to do. Even if it takes a couple of times to do a
simple activity, allowing them to make mistakes and making them correct their
mistakes on their own will help them strive and intensify their willingness to
fight out the disease on a new level.
…condescend. Instead, ENCOURAGE and
PRAISE your seniors on doing their basic activities on the very best of their
abilities.
These
are only some of the “NEVER” rules that must be constantly followed when coping
with a senior citizen with Alzheimer’s. As a family member, caregiver, and
health provider, no amount of “arguing, condescending, I told you so, you
can’t, or remember” will make their memories come back the way it worked from
the very beginning.
In
addition to their regular medication for memory enhancement, seniors must
primarily work on their remaining strengths, and not dwell too much on their
weaknesses.
Brain Exercise for Alzheimer’s and
Non-Alzheimer’s Patients
As
early as possible, help yourself and your senior citizen do an active brain exercise
that will help keep the brain healthy and focused. To make these activities
more encouraging to achieve, do the brain exercise with your elder as frequent
as you can.
1.
Manage stress. Stress may
come from a lot of things. In as much as possible, relieve your elder from
doing multi-tasking activities for most of the time. Doing Tai Chi or Yoga
together can help ease mental stress from the pressures of work and the demands
of society.
2.
Have a healthy
diet.
Stay away from red meat, fatty foods, and other similar stuffs. Instead, have a
healthy diet by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as eating
fish and its by-products.
3.
Have a regular
exercise.
Exercise may vary, depending on the age and physical ability of your senior
citizen. It would be a big help for your elder if you regular exercise with
them, within their own pace, so as to encourage them and keep them driven on
staying healthy.
4.
Have enough
sleep.
Sleep relaxes the mind and enlightens the soul. So help your elder sleep at
least 8 hours a day.
5.
Make some mental
stimulation activities. There are a lot of games and activities that would
help brain stimulation. But first, know your elder’s interests. With this in
mind, mental stimulation can be easily and regularly done.
6.
Have an active social
lifestyle.
It helps to regularly interact with people in varying walks of life, across all
ages. This will help seniors keep their mind active and away from the stress
attributed to Alzheimer’s.
www.nvseniorguide.com is the leading
comprehensive resource directory for seniors in Nevada, providing information
about homes, health, services and leisure activities. Leigh St John is
the Executive Director and welcomes your inquiries. Simply visit the site
for more information.
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