Alzheimer’s Care Tips & Resources
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be extremely overwhelming and often times frustrating, whether it is the constant questions, aggressive behaviors and personality changes or the need for 24 hour care. However, there are tips to best manage care for an individual with Alzheimer’s:
Education
Become an educated caregiver, understanding the stages of the disease will help you understand how your caregiver skills will need to change through the process.
Communication
Often times it is can be challenging to communicate with an individual with dementia. It is important to focus on the important issues. Is it necessary to continuously correct the individual of unimportant subjects such as what day it is if it not having an impact on their wellbeing. Remaining calm is an important aspect of communication as increased volume and irritated tone can trigger individuals with dementia to become agitated or aggressive.
Flexibility
Try to remain flexible, trying to stick to a very strict schedule will always be beneficial for an individual as it adds stress if the schedule is not adhered to
Safety
Ensuring the safety of the individual with Alzheimer’s is an essential part of caring for your loved one. Using the following home safety tips will help ensure your loved one is safe and ease your mind:
Assess your home : Look at the home as though you had dementia where are the problem areas that need to be addressed
Lock or Disguise hazardous areas : Cover doors and locks with a painted mural or cloth in order to prevent injury in areas such as kitchen or garage.
Be prepared for emergencies : Keep a list of emergency phone numbers for hospital, police, fire and poison control easily accessible
Make sure Safety devices are working : Having working fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
Install locks out of sight : Place deadbolts high or low on exterior doors to make it more difficult for a person that wanders to get outside of the house. Also, keep an extra set of keys hidden near the door. Taking the locks off the doors for bedrooms and bedrooms will prevent an individual from locking themselves inside.
Keep walkways well lit : Add lights to hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms to prevent accidents and reduce disorientation.
Remove or disable guns or other weapons : The presence of a weapon in the home of a person with dementia could potentially create a dangerous situation. An individual with dementia may mistake a familiar face as an intruder.
Place medication in locked cabinet or drawer : Use pill box organizers to ensure that medicines are taken as prescribed
Remove tripping hazards : Remove objects from the floor such as magazine racks, coffee tables, rugs and floor lamps to prevent tripping and falling in the home.
Watch the temperature of water and food : Individuals with dementia may have a difficult time telling the difference between hot and cold so set the water temperature at 120 degrees or less to prevent scalding.
Helpful Articles
Alzheimer’s Disease Causes, Stages, & Symptoms
A great resource and very complete overview of Alzheimer’s disease.
YourAgingParent.com offers excellent insight on a variety of challenges faced by those caring for an elder parent. Take advantage of these wonderful resources.
