A Carer Guide To Alzheimer Diseases

Alzheimers suffers in the later stages will be in complete contrast to their usual behaviour they exhibited in earlier life.

Mood swings, from being ecstatically happy to extremely sad, verbal and sometimes physical aggression, and extreme anxiety and nervousness often affect the Alzheimers sufferer and, of course, the carer who can help best by offering continuous reassurance and patience.

Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene often becomes a major issue with the sufferer forgetting to wash and bathe. Body odour, and stained and soiled clothing and hands can be a cause of great stress and result in a cruel loss of dignity.

Communication
During the early stages understanding simple speech remains unaffected, but finding the correct words can be a problem and the Alzheimers sufferer will often leave sentences unfinished. The taking of messages particularly over the telephone can be difficult and this is often one of the first signs of dementia.

As the disease worsens communication will become more difficult as comprehension skills decrease. Eventually their whole speech can become gibberish until eventually the Alzheimer sufferer will cease to talk altogether and will withdraw into his or her small world.

Sleep
Although the amount of sleep required by an Alzheimers sufferer is unlikely to change, their sleep cycle may do. So, instead of wanting to sleep at night and be awake during the day, this could become reversed. This isn't a problem of itself except for the carer who will have his or her nights disrupted.

The carer is advised to keep the patient active and awake during the day as much as possible, even though it is tempting to seize an opportunity to do some chores and enjoy some peace and quiet should the sufferer fall asleep. A warm drink at bedtime may help, although any problems with incontinence should be considered. Ensure there are no other reasons for the restless nights, such as joint pain or night cramps. In the event the latter are a problem, administer mild painkillers. In the worst case scenario, many people use a night sitting service to ensure the sufferer is closely supervised while the carer gets a few nights of undisturbed sleep.

Malnutrition
Eating and drinking can be a problem with Alzheimer suffers. More accurately the lack of food and drink and the resulting malnutrition is the problem.

A sufferer may develop an irrational fear of the food you are providing, or they may simply forget or refuse to eat. Two likely causes of the latter are ill-fitting dentures, especially if the sufferer has lost weight; and constipation. A well balanced diet with plenty of roughage and a high fluid intake will help prevent constipation.

General Advice For Carers
It is difficult to judge who has the worse time, the Alzheimers sufferer or the carer. In the early stages of the disease it is probably the sufferer, in the latter stages it is undoubtedly the carer.

Help minimise disorientation by not moving anything in the home. To do so will make their confusion worse.

Admit an Alzheimers suffer to hospital as a last resort. Once you do so disorientation and confusion will increase markedly.
Do not let a sufferer out alone, they may have difficulty finding the way back home.

Do all you can to help the sufferer maintain dignity.
- A warm drink or a tot of their favourite alcoholic drink may aid sleep at night. - Try to keep the patient active and awake during the day.
- Keep a cold drink nearby to remind the sufferer to take fluids.
- Keep disruption to routine to a minimum to prolong the Alzheimers sufferer's independence as long as possible.

Closely supervise medication. It is very easy for the Alzheimers sufferer to forget they have taken their medication, and take it repeatedly. Alzheimer's disease is progressive and incurable, although there are drugs that can slow the progression. It is one of the saddest diseases in that it is difficult to care for or regularly visit someone who no longer knows your name or recognises you.

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