Tips For Alzheimer’s Caregivers To Cope With Their Frustration

Caregiving of any kind can feel like a thankless job, and caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s is even more so. It can be very taxing to care for someone suffering from dementia, one may experience intense levels of frustration on a regular basis, which, in turn, can negatively impact your health as well as health of those receiving care. Though on one hand, it can be stressful and frustrating time, but at the same time it can be rewarding to know how much you’re being able to help.

It takes a lot of patience for being a caregiver to someone suffering from Alzheimer’s. Dementia caregivers are increasingly annoyed and frustrated, and even angry by needing to provide constant reminders and answer the patient’s repeated questions. Keep in mind that frustrations often arise out of trying to change an uncontrollable circumstance, and as a caregiver of someone with dementia, you’re bound to be faced with many uncontrollable situations. Normal day to day activities, such as dressing, bathing, and eating, behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s, such as wandering, or asking questions repeatedly- can become sources of deep frustration for you. Unfortunately, changing the behavior of the person suffering from dementia is not in your hands, what though you can control is how you respond when you are in the situation.

It’s natural to get frustrated and angry, but it’s important you channelize your anger in the right direction, since if the patient starts to feel afraid of you, that could completely destroy the caregiving and care-receiving relationship that is ideally rooted in trust. It is important to take preventative measures to be able to mindfully manage what you do with your anger before you feel overwhelmed:

Seek out a support network– Looking after someone suffering from Alzheimer’s day in and day out can be long and indeed frustrating, that’s why there should be an outlet for you to de-stress every so often. Make plans with your friends or attend an event of your liking at least once a week. Take some time off every day for self-care where you should do things that give you happiness. It is a great idea to join support groups where you’ll meet people who are in the same situation as you, and find solutions to how they overcame situations- the ones that you currently face on a daily basis.

Set a routine– Alzheimer’s or dementia patients generally do much better with routine. It’s advisable that you schedule bath times, doctor appointments, etc. at a time of the day when the person you’re caring for is typically more attentive. It’s equally important to prepare yourself for change, as new tasks will come up, and often, what you had planned may go for a toss in terms of the fact it might take significantly longer than you had initially thought.

Include the person– Find what things can the person do by themselves, and accordingly give the person as many tasks as they can handle. It will make them feel worth something and will ease their frustration arising out of the thought that they now need help with their everyday tasks.

It is very important that you etch the fact that Alzheimer’s affects people in all different ways in your mind, which means you must adapt to the needs of the person you’re caring for. It’s good to be aware of the warning signs of frustration so that you can intervene and adjust your mood before you lose control. Common warning signs include shortness of breath, lack of patience, increased smoking, compulsive eating, desire to strike out, knot in the throat, stomach cramps, headache, and excessive alcohol consumption.

The aforementioned tips aren’t a guarantee you won’t get angry or frustrated, but hopefully they’ll help you respond in an effective and healthy way.

Being a caregiver may seem too much sometimes, making you unable to care for your loved one effectively. So, it may be time to consider moving your loved one into a memory care community. At Senior Sanctuary of Anthem- an award-winning North Phoenix assisted living/memory care community, our expert care team can help to take some of the pressure off.