Health & Medicine
3 Things Caretakers Can Do to Lessen Their Frustration with Alzheimer's Patients
Brooke James
First Posted: Apr 30, 2016 05:00 AM EDT
Thousands of seniors are diagnosed with Alzheimer's every year. To take care of them millions of adults take on the responsibility of being caregivers. This job is both rewarding and overwhelming, and a lot of times, understandably frustrating.
Still, the importance of this job could not be emphasized enough -- after all, it is only right to care for the elderly. For families of people with Alzheimer's there are resources like Senior Health you can direct them to, but for you as a caretaker, here are a few things to help caretakers feel less frustrated:
Take Your Time
As a caretaker for an Alzheimer's patient, disregard the idea of ever being in a hurry. As The Huffington Post noted, things will take longer, and that's okay. Remember that the adult you are looking out for is not exactly in his prime, so expect things to take longer than usual. The earlier you adjust to this, the less frustrating the slow pace will be.
Be Organized
Individuals who have dementia and Alzheimer's thrive in situations where they can stick to a routine, so it is imperative that you too, can be as organized and as well-scheduled as you possibly could be.
Involve Your Patient And Let Them Make Choices
People with Alzheimer's, despite having problems with their memories, are not vegetables. Being a caregiver does not mean that you have to take charge of their lives -- it just means that you have to help them be more comfortable. That being said, work with the person you're caring for and allow them to have at least a semblance of control in their life -- give them what choices they can still make. For instance, in picking their outfits for the day, lay out two complete sets and make them pick.
There is nothing you can do to completely alleviate the frustrations that come with caring for someone with Alzheimer's. However, you can help yourself by adjusting to your patient -- at least then, the job won't be too overwhelming.
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First Posted: Apr 30, 2016 05:00 AM EDT
Thousands of seniors are diagnosed with Alzheimer's every year. To take care of them millions of adults take on the responsibility of being caregivers. This job is both rewarding and overwhelming, and a lot of times, understandably frustrating.
Still, the importance of this job could not be emphasized enough -- after all, it is only right to care for the elderly. For families of people with Alzheimer's there are resources like Senior Health you can direct them to, but for you as a caretaker, here are a few things to help caretakers feel less frustrated:
Take Your Time
As a caretaker for an Alzheimer's patient, disregard the idea of ever being in a hurry. As The Huffington Post noted, things will take longer, and that's okay. Remember that the adult you are looking out for is not exactly in his prime, so expect things to take longer than usual. The earlier you adjust to this, the less frustrating the slow pace will be.
Be Organized
Individuals who have dementia and Alzheimer's thrive in situations where they can stick to a routine, so it is imperative that you too, can be as organized and as well-scheduled as you possibly could be.
Involve Your Patient And Let Them Make Choices
People with Alzheimer's, despite having problems with their memories, are not vegetables. Being a caregiver does not mean that you have to take charge of their lives -- it just means that you have to help them be more comfortable. That being said, work with the person you're caring for and allow them to have at least a semblance of control in their life -- give them what choices they can still make. For instance, in picking their outfits for the day, lay out two complete sets and make them pick.
There is nothing you can do to completely alleviate the frustrations that come with caring for someone with Alzheimer's. However, you can help yourself by adjusting to your patient -- at least then, the job won't be too overwhelming.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone