Tips For How To Help A Loved One Through Alzheimer's

By Jen Pursens

Alzheimer's is a painful disease to suffer through for the person with the disease and also for loved ones near the patient. It is a degenerative disease of the brain that gets progressively worse and can affect millions of people. Though it already affects many people, that number is expected to double in the next twenty years.

When you realize exactly how many people are already suffering from this disease, it can be a scary thought. That's why it is so important that people who may be affected by Alzheimer's find a solution to provide care, like senior home care, or other methods to manage the disease.

Alzheimer's is a common disease, but many are unaware of its symptoms. Being aware of the symptoms can be very helpful because if you can catch the warning signs early, you can start developing a proactive approach for how to manage and deal with it. Catching the symptoms early can also help you decide if you will need senior home care.

Some of the most common symptoms are (but are not limited to): memory loss that seems to get worse over time, various speech impairments, and an impaired ability to make decisions or a tendency to make decisions that are completely out of character. Of course, these symptoms may be more pronounced if someone has had a serious head injury or has had a history of Alzheimer's in the family.

If you are starting to suspect that one of your loved ones is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, you should immediately seek out a formal diagnosis from a reputable doctor. This physician will have to begin monitoring the person to spot any of the behavioral symptoms and whether or not it is impairing their daily functions and cognitive abilities.

Depending on the prognosis, you may decide that senior home care is your best option. You might even decide that this is the right time to assign Power of Attorney in case the patient suddenly can't make independent decisions. The doctor should also set up regular appointments for new evaluations.

The best advice you can get for taking care of Alzheimer's patients is to formulate a plan and be proactive about it. There are some drugs on the market, but before you turn to them you can actually start by using some other methods, like selecting appropriate activities and joining an early stages Alzheimer's social group. This is also the time to start reorganizing their environment to make it more safe and comfortable.

You should always try your best to keep the patient actively involved with their own treatment, and try to discuss all the legal and financial matters that have to be resolved. Many senior home care services will offer a lot of help when you need to get everything sorted out. - 31803

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