How to Cope with an Alzheimer's Patient

Watching a loved one suffer with Alzheimer's can be an emotionally and physically daunting task. Alzheimer's is a disease that causes significant and often swift brain deterioration normally in adults 65-70 years or older. I have classified this the rate of difficulty for this How to article as moderately challenging because it is truly challenging to watch a once spry loved one who was once full of vim, vigor and vitality slowly or quickly succumb to this disease. However, following these steps will make the coping a bit more tolerable.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a tough exterior

1. Accept that Alzheimer's is a health condition. Initially, I thought granddaddy was just becoming a senile man. I thought it was wrong for a doctor to call a little bit of forgetfulness a disease. Instead, I thought the doctor was trying to capitalize on a new idea, make money and run with it. I also thought that granddaddy had lived a full life of 90 years, and he deserved to be as forgetful as he wanted or even needed to be. However, when he began to wander away from home without letting us know in the bitterly cold winter nights, through the woods just to end up on the front porch steps of his Masonic brother's home, I did begin to think the doctor might have a point. Alzheimer's will cause a person to become so forgetful that he may begin to do things that cause physical harm or even death. Therefore, any medical treatment plans suggested by a doctor should be followed to guard against an Alzheimer's patient harming himself.

2. Patronize the patient. For your own sanity, act as if the patient's requests are genuine. Even if they appear absurd and absolutely ludicrous, the requests are real in the mind of the patient. Alzheimer's patients can become like a broken record or a parrot that knows a few words well and repetitiously. They feel as if the request they have needs to be acted upon with haste. Therefore, use your non-altered mind to outsmart them-if you will. I'll use two examples. If Grandma Mae asks you to take her to your Great Aunt Liz's house-who you know has been dead for twenty years-tell Grandma you will take her as soon as you can get dinner done. If that response does not satisfy her, put her in the car and take her for a ride. Generally, the ride alone is enough to put Grandma's mind on another wavelength for the time being. Another scenario to try to combat a barrage of inordinate requests is to get the patient engaged in a conversation that he loves. For example, if granddaddy pitches a fit about wanting to paint the walls, build a new barn, and tear it down again, remind him that you were so proud of his military experience. Watch his eyes light up with delight as he tells you the same war stories time and time again. Not only war stories, but also pivotal other times in their lives will suffice, such as: college days, marriages, gardening, sports talk, playing cards and repairing cars.

3. Safeguard the house. Place deadbolt locks on the doors so the patient will not wander away. Hide the car keys so the vehicles will not wander away with the patient. Hide all medications, weapons, sharp objects, fire starters, poisonous materials or other harmful substances for obvious reasons. Not only are you safeguarding the house for the patient's safety, but also if an Alzheimer's patient misplaces your keys, is she going to be highly likely to remember the location of the keys?

Tips & Warnings

• Do not take the behavior of an Alzheimer's patient personally. It is a medical condition. Why else would your own mother, father, grandmother or grandfather forget your name and their name too?
• Pray for your sanity through this ordeal.
• Adhere to the medical treatment plan set forth by the doctors.

[billpoir]

on 2/11/2009 Are Alzheimer's and Demetia the same?

[phed0017]

on 9/1/2008 thank you for this advice. My mother was recently diagnosed and I moved to help out.