Living With Alzheimer's Disease

By: Edward Gooden | Posted: 11th June 2010

There are drugs in the market that can help ease the pain but not reverse the process or stop the disease from spreading. The only thing it can do is slow down the process that could buy enough time until a cure has been found. Family members should give this or hire a caregiver to do that when no one is able to take care of the person. In time, the sufferer may not even recall the name of the children. One way to help the one living with Alzheimer's is through the use of visual aids. The name and the picture of the person can be shown in a card and someone can conduct memory exercises on the individual. It will also be a good idea to talk as often as possible with the patient. The person should be within the line of sight of the individual and must say each word slowly in order to understand each word being said. The best place to treat someone with Alzheimer's is in the home. The people who are there should make sure that there is order in the house and it is quiet at all times because noise will just aggravate the patient. Living with someone who has Alzheimer's can be compared to taking care of a toddler. This is because the person will touch anything in sight and might even get hurt in the process. The best thing to do is to take make sure there is no clutter in the house and items that are deemed unsafe are hidden from view. Alzheimer sufferers are known to wander off. The person can lock the doors but should the patient manage to get out, it is best to have either a bracelet or a pocket card inserted in the clothing. This must have the name, address of the patient as well as the contact number where someone can be reached to pick up the wanderer. Studies show that those who are suffering from Alzheimer's disease really get worked up in the evening. This can be prevented by coming up with evening rituals such as washing the dishes, watching television or walking around for a while to make the patient calm and sleep tight. Those who are suffering from Alzheimer's aside from the medicine prescribed by the doctor also need exercise. It doesn't have to be anything extraneous but just enough to keep the strength up. An early morning walk or lifting small weights are just a few examples to promote a certain level of fitness for the patient. It is not easy living with someone who has Alzheimer's disease because the task of taking care of someone is both tiring and frustrating. People have to understand that no one wanted this to happen but the reality is that the problem is there. It is a good thing there are support groups out there that can help family members and patients cope with this disease. The people can also live closer because it won't be long before the inevitable will happen and this person will go off to a better place.

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Tags: sleep, aids, doors, clutter, visual aids, dishes, watching television, family members, drugs, contact number, caregiver, alzheimer, rituals, sufferer, line of sight, wanderer