Ways To Treat People Dealing With Alzheimer’s Disease

With approximately 5.8 million Americans having Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia, there are good chances you must know someone that has Alzheimer’s. With the continued increases in the rates of Alzheimer’s disease, you are likely to cross paths with someone dealing with dementia sooner or later.

It is extremely difficult to see a loved one experiencing Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. Not knowing what to say to someone or how to handle someone that has lost their memory is a hard task. However, how you approach your older adult with Alzheimer’s can have a significant impact on them. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition meaning with time (as the disease progresses) the person loses their ability to remain active and independent, and this is the time when they might need senior living in Anthem. Remember memory care is the best form of senior living that ensures your loved one lives a quality life with as much independence as possible.

This article aims to throw light upon how adults with Alzheimer’s should be and should not be treated. Read on:

Be careful with your tone and language– As Alzheimer’s progresses, verbal skills decrease in an individual coupled with increased difficulty with memory, making it very difficult for them to carry on a conversation. You must not talk in a tone that hurts your loved one’s self-esteem (steer clear of baby talk). Talk normally, not too fast (for them to register), in a polite way, use short sentences, and ask other family members and visitors to do the same.

Encourage independence– No matter the stage of the disease, always allow your beloved to do, or at least attempt to do, as many of their daily chores as they are capable of safely completing. Be patient with them. Just have patience, and intervene only when you truly need to.

Pay attention– Dementia changes the way one sees things and thinks. Trying to change their perceptions might go down the drain, as their ability to reason or remember is compromised. Pay attention to what they are saying or doing, instead of correcting them constantly that might frustrate them. 

In short, these are the things you should not to do people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia:

1. Don’t ignore or neglect them
2. Don’t infantilize (it is wrong to strip them off their maturity in age or experience, treat them as equals)
3. Address them by their actual name instead of terms of endearment
4. It is not right to assume they are confused all the time, and act based on that
5. Don’t ask questions incessantly, as it increases anxiety
6. Don’t talk to other people about them in front of them
7. Your focus should be on what they are able to do (not what they are unable to do) and encourage them further
8. Remember they are not intentionally being difficult to bother or hurt you, it’s the disease that’s making them do so
9. It’s good if you stay with and care for your loved one with dementia, however, if you don’t stay together and visit at regular intervals, keep doing so even if they don’t remember.

If you ever get angry or lose patience, just for once put yourself in their shoes, and you’ll understand.