Providing for an aging family member suffering from dementia or Alzheimers disease is never easy.. Sometimes, no matter what you do to help, it seems to be wrong. You can sometimes be attacked verbally or even physically by the person youre trying to help.
Caregivers often receive no appreciation for the efforts they make to care for family members. Its no wonder they occasionally feel discouraged and wonder why theyre not appreciated. Worse than that, they may even feel that they are placing themselves in harms way.In some cases, the caregivers may even feel that they are placing themselves in harms way.
Dementia and Alzheimers disease are estimated to afflict more than four million Americans. Ninety percent of them are over the age of sixty five. Although there has been a great deal of research done, there is currently no cure. Slowing the progression of Alzheimers is the best that current medications can do.
It is often the dementia or Alzheimers that causes the elderly person to behave in a manner quite different than how they behaved before they became ill. There are a few things that can account for this.
The disease causes the afflicted person to be frightened. The difficulties that they experience with everyday tasks are something that they dont understand. They have difficulty communicating and are unable to express themselves clearly. Everything they touch seems to go wrong. Although they may hear well, they are unable to understand a good deal of what they hear. Most Alzheimers patients lose the ability to read and perform simple mathematical functions. It should not surprise us that they become so frightened.
Elderly patients who suffer from physical conditions or memory loss are very often focuse
d on themselves alone. They often become selfish and self-serving, no matter how generous or selfless they were in their younger years. Although you might consider this to be very wrong, try to remember that it is also a sign that the person is struggling to survive.
When a person is frightened, they will generally do one of two things. They will either get very quiet and become distant, or they will become aggressive and lash out. If they choose to lash out, there is nobody more convenient than the caregiver who loves them.
So what is a caregiver to do when they feel like they have been attacked? What if the person seems to be lose their ability to control their actions? Here are a couple of things you can do:First of all, remember not to take anything personal. Remind yourself that you are dealing with someone who is not well. You will be best able to handle the situation if you remain calm. You will be able to think more clearly if you are calm. You can help to prevent the situation from escalating by remaining calm. It never pays to try to win the argument. It is usually better to distract the person, thereby diffusing the situation. Many times the problem will not exist five minutes later.Sometimes, you can gently move the person away from the situation that has upset them.
Always remember, its not them, its the disease. Angry outbursts, confusion and frustration are a natural result of suffering from dementia or Alzheimers. You can do your best to cope with the situation and stay in control by maintaining perspective.
You need to call for help immediately if you feel that you are in danger. In some cases, you may be able to receive immediate help from a family member or close friend. It may be necessary for you to call professional help immediately by dialing 911. Intervening in life-threatening situations is what they do, and they may be the best people to provide help.
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Alzheimers
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