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How to help people with Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease difficult to go through both for the person who suffers it and for their family members.
These people want to live their lives as much as they can and as family members and caregivers we must put our effort into providing them with quality and dignity in this difficult time.
The ability to remain active, healthy, and independent is a desire for people with Alzheimer's, and this is where companions play an extremely important role in helping to achieve these goals.
How to help the patient's family?
Being the companion of a person with dementia is not easy, feelings of exhaustion and worry are normal, so it is important that the companion takes care of their health. Here are some tips on how to do it:
Come up with ways to get support
Organize activities where other people can care for or monitor the person with dementia so that you can include rest days in your routine.
Create a support network
Create a support system made up of family, friends and doctors who can assist you when any emergency occurs, this to minimize stress as the disease progresses.
connect
There are people who are also going through the same situation, connect with them and share your experience to generate a broader support network, receive encouragement and nourish yourself from the experiences of others.
Ask for help and accept it
Don't wait before asking others for help, this can prevent many situations.
Rest well
Don't forget to take breaks, invest time in your own enjoyment and recreation.
Don't take things personally
Among the symptoms that characterize this disease is forgetfulness, so it is likely that you forget things that are important to you, but that is a consequence of the disease itself, it is not a reflection of what you really feel.
Maintain a healthy diet, exercise and regular visits to the doctor, you are important too.
Allow yourself to enjoy and laugh when funny events arise.
Look for information
The more you know that can help you to dissipate your anxieties more effectively, the more confident you will be and the more able you will feel to face this difficult situation and make the best possible decisions.
Work on accepting the diagnosis
As a companion, you may accept the diagnosis more quickly, however be patient, it is normal for the person with Alzheimer's to find out more about assimilating this situation.
Share information and provide support through this difficult process.
How to integrate the person with Alzheimer's into a new routine?
At the beginning of this disease, it is not clear to the companions how much assistance is needed from them, so it is good that you put into practice the following recommendations to develop a system that works for them:
Safety first
To find out if they need assistance in activities that the person with dementia wants to do, just ask if they pose any risk, if they don't, encourage and supervise them.
Avoid stressful situations
Involve him in those daily activities that are to his liking and avoid subjecting him to situations that people stress.
Create a signal for help
Develop a key or phrases that allow you to intervene so that the other person agrees without feeling bad, you can ask and if people with Alzheimer's nod it means that you can intervene.
Work together
Organize activities that you both enjoy and discuss what you expect from them.
A good option may be physical activities, the results of some studies show that regular exercise can improve the quality of life during this disease.
Considerations and special keys to take into account with Alzheimer's
1. Ask the doctor and the experts
When you go to the doctor, do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want, being aware of the treatment and the future will help you feel more secure.
2. Be flexible with routines
You can take advantage of the moments when the person is most lucid to carry out the more complicated routines.
3. Communicate
Speak to him by name to get his attention, use a calm and polite tone giving him time to respond.
4. Make it easy for him to do some chores
You don't need to be invasive to help, you can make things easier like getting dressed by getting your clothes ready and being there in case you need intervention.
5. Plan activities that are simple and enjoyable.
Alzheimer's is a very complex disease, so it is normal for intense and contradictory emotions to appear, rely on health professionals and do not keep them to yourself.
