When a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, many changes occur in the patient’s daily experiences. However, no less traumatic are the drastic changes
that occurs within the family structure.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is no small feat. Loving someone does not reduce the stress or struggle of their daily care. Many caregivers live with guilt
because they may come to resent the time and effort required to care for a parent.
Guilt is a natural feeling and should be discussed openly with other family members. The natural progressions of life have been reversed. You take care of someone who
at one time was responsible for your care. As a caregiver or family member, it is important to embrace change, to understand that at some point you may feel the hand that life has extended to you.
The end result is that you continue to care for your loved one with love and concern. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is a full-time job. Whether you are caring for the patient at home or in a facility. Day after day, a set of tasks is necessary to ensure that your loved one is well taken care of.
Often, the family member who becomes the caregiver must learn new skills to meet the needs of the patient. The family’s daily routine must be modified to accommodate the family crisis.
Alzheimer’s disease is not only a family crisis but also a national crisis that has impinged on the lifestyles of its victims and their families.
One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is coping with changes in the behavior of the person they are caring for. It is stressful trying to communicate with a stranger who was once a loving person and
relative or relative concerned.
Alzheimer’s patients sometimes become very stubborn and exhibit very difficult personality traits. Alzheimer’s disease causes this strange behavior, which makes the disease more difficult to manage. Often the actions or communication of a patient with Alzheimer’s will not make sense.
The patient will behave in a way that will bother you. This can be difficult for a caregiver.
When this happens, remember that your loved one is not doing this on purpose.
These behavioral changes are part of the symptoms of the disease.
The patient’s actions can cause a lot of stress and frustration for you and your patient. The most important thing to remember is that the behavior is the result of the disease. These patients are unable to react appropriately. These patients need immense understanding patience. and love.
Alzheimer’s disease is a very cruel reality in the lives of millions of older Americans. Just as medical science has improved the quality and length of life, Alzheimer’s disease manifests itself to ruin the quality of that long life. Human beings want to live long, fruitful lives. They don’t want to live for twenty years in a mental fog that grows over time to nothingness.
