It has never been easy to adjust or stay emotionally balanced after the doctor just diagnosed you with a disease. Learning that you have Alzheimer’s can be a very unsettling and traumatic experience. The same is true for both your family, friends, and caregivers. Over time, they start fretting about the expected changes as they watch you gradually deteriorate.
If this happens to a family nearby, you mustn’t stigmatize them, as that can happen to almost anybody. There are measures you can take to support these families. This article contains 7 different ways you can help such families. You can as well visit Alzheimer’s resource to learn more about dementia.
Ways to help a family with dementia
- Make sure they get enough encouragement from you
When a person is first diagnosed with dementia, such an individual may get depressed. This can result in them getting withdrawn and getting weighed down with miserable feelings. There must be someone to give them hope that it’s not the end of the road for them.
Buy them gifts and relate with them as though they’re not having any issues with their memory. You can engage them in up-lifting activities such as gaming or meditation.
- Educate them about the disease
Alzheimer’s disease can start as a gradual process with mild symptoms. There are many preventive measures that individuals can take to slow down the process of their memory deterioration. Educate them about measures that can be used to alleviate the situation.
In some cases, Alzheimer’s disease can be genetically transferred down to generations. Therefore the children of the affected individual must be educated about preventive measures to avoid or slow down the process when it gets to their turn.
- Engage affected individuals in conversations
It is common to find family members and friends treating their Alzheimer’s patients differently. This probably stems from the fact that they’re considered incapable of appropriate logical reasoning. Doing this will cause the condition to deteriorate.
Engaging Alzheimer-affected individuals in active conversations force their brains to think. This further prevents the brain from completely losing it.
- Always be on the lookout for them.
Advanced stages of dementia can cause individuals to act impulsively. People with prolonged Alzheimer’s can take their clothes off in public or stool while they have their clothes on. When such scenarios occur, scolding them won’t help the situation.
If it’s a close relative, you can use adult diapers on them to curtail the embarrassment. Also, staying close to them will prompt them to tell you how they feel.
- Take it calmly with them.
Alzheimer’s disease is commonly associated with memory loss in adults. Some patients might ask the same questions or say the same things repeatedly. Most persons would quickly lose interest during conversations with such individuals.
Lack of patience can make you end up yelling at them. Remember that they’re not the cause of any misbehaviors they put up.
- Always offer to help and be specific.
Most persons suffering from this disease are incapable of existing independently. So, you must always be available just in case they need something. Always offer to help with tasks such as dropping off lunch or running errands.
They may not immediately accept your offer of support. When this happens, be patient and don’t take offense. Adjusting to such patterns will take a while and will soon feel like nothing.
- Educate yourself about Alzheimer’s disease
Different people diagnosed with the disease exhibit various symptoms. Some patients may suffer from extreme confusion, anxiety, or panicking instead of memory loss. You must be adequately educated as a caregiver about the different symptoms and measures you can take to ease the situation. Be flexible and ready to learn as the patient displays new characters daily.
Conclusion
One might quickly get frustrated or impatient with a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The effect often goes beyond just the affected individual to family members. In such situations, it’s everyone’s best interest that you provide a shoulder to lean on for both the patient and family members. The tips we’ve provided in this article will help you give the best care to these individuals.
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