Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease may seem like a daunting task if you do not know how to or even where to begin.

You aren’t in this alone! Let’s talk about some helpful tips that can help reduce potential frustrations for you and your loved one, and have a better overall experience as a caregiver. 

CREATE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT

Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include poor spatial awareness and confusion, which can make people with Alzheimer’s more susceptible to injuries. An easy way to reduce injuries is to create a safe environment for the person you are caring for.

Install handrails throughout the house and keep the floor clear of objects that can be easily tripped over. Install locks on cabinets and doors to rooms that contain potentially dangerous items like medications, cleaning chemicals, tools or weapons. Look around your home (or your loved one’s home) and take note of potential risks so you can make the appropriate accommodations. You may need to do this again as your loved one’s condition progresses.

MINIMIZE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS

If you’ve never been a caregiver before (and maybe even if you have), the work and new responsibilities you have may be frustrating or overwhelming. Adopting new habits can help minimize your stress. 

Create a routine for you and your loved one. It can help you manage the variety of care tasks you need to complete while also allowing you some personal time to take care of your own wants and needs. As you’re planning a schedule, keep in mind that Alzheimer’s patients tend to take longer to perform certain tasks. Give both you and your loved one extra time. Schedule in breaks when you can too.

Understanding how to best communicate with a loved one you’re caring for is also key. As time goes on, their ability to communicate may be more limited. Be mindful of this, and take note of changes as they happen. Giving your loved one easy-to-follow instructions can help them understand you better while still giving them the ability to complete some basic tasks.

LONG TERM FLEXIBILITY

As a caregiver, it is important to understand that the condition of the person in your care will progress and you need to be flexible. This could mean changing your established schedules, being met with resistance by your loved one, worsening moods or dealing with new health care requirements. 

Each person is unique. While there are stages of Alzheimer’s disease, how or when a person progresses through them can vary. While it’s hard to prepare for things that you can’t exactly predict, knowing that things will change and being able to adapt to those changes can help both you and your loved one.

SEEK HELP 

If your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, you are not alone! There are many services in our community that can help Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones.

Here at Milton Village, we offer therapeutic activities-based programs for older adults who are in need of care during the day. We customize programs to meet the individual needs of our patients and specialize in care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Schedule a free assessment to see if our day center meets your loved one’s needs by sending us a message through the form on the right or calling us at 574-232-2666.