How to Consider Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's

This article was written to help you decide rather or not to care for a loved one in the home or not. This article is not intended to offend anyone just intended to make families aware of the facts surrounding Alzheimer's disease. People with Alzheimer's lose the ability to communicate they get confused and disoriented. This is a form of dementia. This effects there brain they become forgetful, delusional and even at some point lose there motor skills.

People with Alzheimer's disease will need long-term care. Usually in the beginning, they do not need constant care. As the disease progresses the more care they will need. Due to the progression, they become a danger to themselves. People with brain disorders like Alzheimer's can become very violent and dangerous.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patients
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Help and Support

1. First and for most you need to consider yourself. Caring for someone with Alzheimer's is demanding and time consuming. Someone has to be there 24/7. You cannot go nor do anything without planning for someone to be there to care for your loved one. It takes more then love or guilt. At some point, the stress will become overwhelming. Even with more then one person doing the caretaking.

2. You have to have a lot of patients. Be willing to sacrifice years of your life. People with Alzheimer's tend to live long even if they don't look like they will. Caretakers often die before the one they care for.

3. You also have to consider the financial burdens. Child proofing, the home, doctors appointments, nurses and very expensive pills and many other expenses. As the disease progresses they will go from a walker to a wheel chair.

4. Taking someone with Alzheimer's anywhere becomes more and more challenging as the disease progresses.

5. Then you will have issues with friends and family. Believe me when I tell you. People just do not understand. They see your loved one for just a little while. They will question your love. They will judge you and ridicule you. They will make you darn right mad. Because they just never took care of anyone. They simply do not realize what it takes.

6. Legal issues like power of attorney,wills,and family.

7. Last but not least the law. You the caretaker is completely responsible for the well-being of that person. That means if you are reported bye anyone for neglect or abuse. There will be a full investigation. That mean you could even go to jail.

Tips & Warnings

• My suggestion will be to read other peoples stories, go on forums. Stories of people who live with a person with Alzheimer's. Not associations and health care providers. They really have no clue.

[cookiesmagic]

on 1/13/2010 Great article

[kims3003]

on 12/30/2009 WELL THOUGHT OUT AND WELL DONE ARTICLE

[pezzaiolo]

on 10/20/2009 You bring up some interesting points.

[danielinwny]

on 10/2/2009 People forget about themselves and can get lost in caring for a relative. It's a very valid point.

[goodselfme]

on 10/1/2009 Caring for anyone with Alzeheimers is a difficult journey. Any child that can do that for a parent has my prayers. Well done composition with good information to consider this care.