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What is like to care for someone you love who has Alzheimer’s? The realities of caring for a person with Alzheimer's research, whether a parent or other family member, or a partner or spouse, can be challenging. What is Alzheimer’s Disease? The condition is when someone suffers a gradual decline of cognitive awareness and memory loss in the early stages, eventually declining until help is required for everyday activities such as dressing, bathing and eating. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia and usually the early signs begin in the patient’s 60’s or 70’s, becoming worse over time. Though some decline in cognitive awareness is usual as we age, Alzheimer’s Disease is more significant and sufferers require daily care and support as the condition progresses. What does living with Alzheimer’s Disease entail?

Though they may once have been interested in a wide range of activities and led busy, active lives people with Alzheimer’s gradually lose interest in these, becoming more reclusive. This begins because they may simply forget arrangements to meet friends, or appointments, and continues because the interest in those hobbies or activities wanes as their cognitive ability declines. Trying to maintain some of these regular engagements and activities is good in the earlier stages. Often, people with Alzheimer’s become dependent on those around them, but can resent this dependency and become aggressive or irritable. Sometimes they become childlike and find the world around them intimidating. Most become forgetful and confused. How can I best care for someone with Alzheimer’s? Key things to consider when caring for someone with Alzheimer's Clinical Study involve patience, repetition, routine and more patience. It can be upsetting, even frustrating, as someone’s memory declines. They become irritated because they can be quite adamant about something, and you’re trying to correct them. You can become irritated because you have answered the same question repeatedly, (“What time is it? What is my address? Where is the baby?”) and are being asked again. It is helpful, even if you find it difficult, to agree with and reassure someone with Alzheimer’s disease and to repeat information. It can be very comforting to let them believe it is a different time of day, or use the wrong name for someone, rather than argue. A good phrase to keep in mind is “choose your battles.” If you must disagree with something – with them leaving the house to ‘go home’ or asking for a meal right after you’ve all eaten, for example – try to do so gently with distraction rather than directly challenging what they are saying. Memory aids – leaving notes in obvious places, always putting things in the same place, and creating routines that are followed every day – can help to slow the decline and keep some level of independence for longer. Routine, repetition and patience can be the difference between a level of contentment and a state of distress for the patient. The patient remaining calm makes caring for them easier. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease a support network of your own is important. Having people regularly visit to help or to spend time with the patient means that the responsibility is shared. It is important to take breaks when you can, as it can be upsetting and challenging to be the sole carer for someone who is so changed from who they used to be.