Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, or any other form of dementia, can be challenging. In addition to managing doctor’s appointments and medications, you’ll have to take several safety issues into consideration. The following tips will help keep your loved one out of harm’s way and give you some peace of mind. 1. Prevent wandering. Wandering is one of the most dangerous and most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Nearly 70% of Alzheimer’s patients have wandered from home or their caregivers. To prevent wandering, try one or more of the following. • Install a door alarm on every door with outside access. • Place locks on exterior doors at a very high or very low height. Alzheimer’s patients may be less likely to find or access a lock that’s out …show more content…
• Consider installing a ramp and/or handrails if stairs are present. • Remove tripping hazards, such as bushes blocking walkways or exposed roots. • Place a “No Soliciting” sign on your door. Alzheimer’s patients may become agitated or afraid when strangers knock on the door. 9. Don’t leave Alzheimer’s patients home alone. It can be difficult to never leave your loved one home alone, but try to arrange for another family member or temporary care worker to stay with your loved one while you’re out. If you work full-time, then consider an elderly daycare program or hiring an elderly care-worker to be at home with your loved one during the day. 10. Don’t rely on your loved one’s promises. Your loved one may promise not to use the car or stove, but you must remember that Alzheimer’s patients don’t have the short-term memory needed to remember the promises they’ve made. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient at home is a wonderful idea. Being in a familiar place may comfort your loved one and be a more affordable option for your family, however as soon as you begin to notice warning signs that your loved one is no longer safe, you’ll need to take immediate action. Consider hiring 24-hour care or moving them to a nursing home. Remember, the above safety tips may help keep your loved one safe at home, but are not a replacement for proper
Informal supports, such as aid for housekeeping and running errands, are crucial to maintaining the lifestyle of individuals with Alzheimer’s in the community; however, the disease’s erosion of physical, cognitive, and communicative abilities often creates tremendous strain for family caregivers. Individuals and family caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s often experience increasing social isolation as the disease’s progression undermines both mobility and the capacity for meaningful and appropriate engagement with the community (Banerjee et al., 2003). A number of studies have documented the physical and mental health costs borne by unsupported caregivers, and the link between caregiver stress and the institutionalization of their ill family members (Andren & Elmstahl, 2005; Banerjee et al., 2003). Taken together, the stress and isolation of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease undermine the health and quality of life of everyone involved, eventually precipitating institutionalization.
Sometimes, the caregiver won’t allow quality sleep. Over 66 percent of home caregivers suffer from some form of psychological or physical illness. The most common illness that results from giving care to Alzheimer’s disease is depression. The caregiver needs to monitor their emotional well-being as well as the well-being of the person that they are giving care to. Usually, giving care to those with dementia is actually more stressful than giving care to those with cancer.
Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but there treatments available for the symptoms. Treatments cannot stop alzheimer’s from developing but they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve their live quality. Medicines like Cholinesterase inhibitors, and Memantine are to help with memory.Drugs don’t consistently help relieve the symptoms, so there are also Non -drug treatments, like managing their environment and establishing a routine to help minimize stress and anxiety. In the first stage of Alzheimer the person phases a lot of emotional stages that are very challenging and distressing. In early stages people experience irritability,Anxiety and depression. “What are the complications?” is a question commonly asked , and they are an infinite number of complications. Let start with depression, most people become depressed when they realize that they are losing their memories and abilities to do the basic things. The second complication i would say is illness or medicine side effects. This disease makes communicating harder for the person, they might be in pain but not been able to tell the nurse. Falling is another one, alzheimer can cause changes in balance and coordination, which might led to broken bones , head trauma or other injuries.Pneumonia and other infections, Alzheimer 's can also cause a loss of body functions , like swallowing or bladder control. This can cause for the person
70% of the patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia live at home. Patients who are living at home typically receive help from their family members and friends; they also get community–based services, homemaker services, and adult day care centers. Many people with dementia end up in long-term care facility or a nursing home because they need 24-hour care and hand-on assistance with even the simplest of tasks. These patients struggle with eating, bathing, dressing, and using the restroom, which can be very difficult if the assistant has not had training. It would be very difficult to treat patients with high-grade dementia in the regular
angry because they feel that there is more that they could do or that they could have done
A myth about Alzheimer disease says that nothing can be done about the disease. This is not true. Much can be done to assist the person with Alzheimer’s disease to maintain the highest possible level of functioning as long as possible and in providing the highest quality of life.
Dementia is classified in three stages. In each stage there are various things caregivers and family members can do to improve the life of their demented loved one. Throughout all three stages of dementia it is important for family members to keep in touch with their loved one. This will make the demented patient feel a sense of belonging and importance. Patients may also benefit from stories, pictures, trinkets, and documents that remind them of the
Your loved ones may be able to help with shorter, easier chores like folding clothes or sweeping the floor. Help with Personal Care Tasks Personal care tasks can be difficult for people with dementia, even in the earlier stages of the condition. For example, people with early-stage dementia could forget to take a bath or put on clean clothes.
During living Environment: 592 Living environment has a significant effect on patients with dementia. A well environment can maximize abilities of patients and improve their quality of life. So observing environment with standard about whether an environment support the special needs and abilities of people with dementia, such as comfort, attachment, inclusion, occupation and identity, to reach their full potential and does not cause needless disability. Most of the patients with dementia live in them home, hospital or retirement home, so we may have observation about the physical and social environment during the home visit or at hospital and retirement home, in order to provide patients a safe and comfortable environment. We should observe
Caring for dementia involves a lot of patience and understanding. It should be dealt with audacity and flawlessness to ensure the vulnerable adults’ well-being. Aiding at home or care home required carers to be at their best, physically and emotionally. The responsibility can be distressing but it is rewarding as well since helping dementia adults in their day to day activities is a significant matter for them. However, carers need a pause as over duty can result to substandard nursing. The big question is: who take care for the carers of people with dementia?
While disoriented and away from home, an Alzheimer's patient may become dehydrated, or suffer heat stroke or hypothermia depending on the weather. Getting hit by a car is another possibility because the person forgets how to cross the street. Other dangers include tripping and falling, sometimes in remote areas. Preventing
Caring For a Loved one with Dementia Caring for a loved one with dementia comes with challenges for families and caregivers. People with dementia from conditions such as Alzheimer’s or other diseases have a progressive biological brain disorder that makes it difficult for them to remember things, think clearly, communicate with others, and take care of themselves. In addition, dementia can cause mood swings and even change a person’s personality and behavior. There are strategies for dealing with the troubling behavior problems and communication difficulties encountered when caring for a person with dementia. Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia Learning how to help a loved one with dementia is important.
4th STEP: Tricks of the trade Living with an Alzheimer's patient or a senile confused patient can be a lot similar to living with a small child. The first thing you want to do is "child proof" the house. 1. Child Proof the House; Just like you would if you were afraid an infant might get into something.
Mykenzie Moyle Ms. Douglass English I, P.4 16 May 2014 Research Paper Alzheimer’s Disease is formed in the brain but, yet, has no known cure or treatment. Alzheimer’s disease has many symptoms. Memory is the biggest symptom along with mood swings and having a hard time keeping up with a conversation. A patient with Alzheimer’s goes through 7 stages; The first stage, which is misplacing things or forgetting what something is used for, second stage, they start losing more of their memory and they begin to forget where they are or what they are doing, the third, fourth and fifth begin to mentally decline and need someone to take care of them and worsen over time.
It was a pleasant day at the Dementia unit and I was assigned to care for a lady whom we can call Miss K. She is a lovely, warm and nice lady who was recently admitted to the Dementia unit two weeks ago. I went to her room to meet her, I introduced myself, greeted her and gave her a hand shake for me to establish rapport. She was very cooperative, participative and independent with her cares. From my observation, I noticed that she is very organised and very particular when it comes to cleanliness. She also wakes up early in the morning and makes sure that all of the things that she needs for morning care are neatly arrange in the bathroom. When having a shower, she cleans her body very well. She also brushes her teeth and cleans her dentures very well. She always likes to wear red coloured clothes and red floral nighties. Before leaving her room, she makes sure that her glasses are clean before wearing it, her used clothes are neatly kept in the empty drawer and she wants to have a handkerchief in her pocket. I also noticed that there is always a glass