Caring For An Alzheimer's Patient

Remember the movie “Notebook” how Noah Calhoun used to read the same story for Allie Hamilton everyday as she was suffering from Alzheimer. It may look like a sweetest love story ever, but a lot goes behind caring for a person suffering from Alzheimer. Actually, Alzheimer’s patients have different needs and they require special care and concern. If you are taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient, you need love and patience. You may also need a training prior to the caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. Read on to know how to care for an Alzheimer’s patient.

 

 

The first thing, which you need when you are caring for an Alzheimer’s patient, is a positive approach. Whether you are just a caregiver, or a relative of the patient, you will need lots of positivity around you and the best way to include positive chi is by incorporating it within you. You cannot just care for an Alzheimer’s patient as your duty. You will have to develop care and unconditional love. Actually, Alzheimer’s patients are capable to read body language and respond to a positive attitude.  

You need to provide a safe home environment to the patient. Alzheimer’s patient may not be able to understand the difference between safe and unsafe. The best thing would be to provide a baby-proofed environment. However, you need to remember that the Alzheimer’s patients have access to all the places and you may need to limit that.

Communication is the main key in handling an Alzheimer’s patient. You need to acknowledge their presence and respond to them not only when there is any behavioral problem but all the time. Alzheimer’s patients tend to repeat things and you may have to show a lot of patience for them especially when they are showing repetitive behavior. You may also have to make special efforts to use eye contact and kind touching methods in order to help the patient understand better.

As a caregiver you need to treat the Alzheimer's patients with ample care, patience, love and support. You need to be sensitive to their needs—emotional and physical.

As opposed to other illnesses, as a caregiver you may have to deal with Alzheimer on a daily basis. You need to have loads of patience in order to take care of the Alzheimer’s patients.

 

As a caregiver you can try to engage the patient in some activities on a routinely basis. You can arrange a schedule for your patient, which they could follow every day. It should include activities like having food, bathing, taking medications, exercising etc. you can also include doctor's appointments etc in the routine.

 

There are many groups, which organize group activities for people suffering from Alzheimer. Search online or ask your doctor about it. These groups have professionally trained caregivers who can help the patients in a better way. In addition, as these organizations are helping a large number of people, they understand the need of each and every patient.