Caring for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s can present many challenges, but developing a proper care plan could prepare you for the road ahead. You need to remain optimistic yet realistic and seek assistance from others. Continue reading to find out what new family caregivers should do when caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s.
Accept Help
Being overprotective of your loved one is normal, but you should never turn away other family members and close friends who want to offer caregiving assistance. Remain open to the opinions of others and try out different methods to see what works best for your parent.
Refusing help could lead to your own physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion and put your loved one’s health and safety in jeopardy. As a new family caregiver, you need to develop a schedule that works well for your family, ensuring you have time off to handle your self-care needs. You should also consider using at-home respite care services and hire a professional who specializes in Alzheimer’s care.
One of the first things to consider is whether and when to hire a professional caregiver for your loved one. Families looking for top-rated home care Phoenix providers can reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care. From respite care to specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care, there are many ways we can make life easier for seniors and their loved ones.
Develop Communication Strategies
As Alzheimer’s progresses, seniors generally experience difficulty forming sentences and finding the right words, and they’re easily confused. As a result, your loved one may not be able to communicate effectively and become frustrated or withdraw from social activities.
A useful care plan includes effective communication strategies, such as speaking clearly, asking one question at a time, and allowing your loved one to respond at his or her own pace. Use nonverbal cues, and avoid correcting your loved one when he or she is wrong. Don’t raise your voice or leave your loved one out of the conversation. Using pronouns is common for many people, but too many pronouns can confuse seniors with Alzheimer’s.
Encourage Healthy Eating & Regular Exercise
A good Alzheimer’s care plan acknowledges the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. Some foods your loved one eats could slow the progression of the disease, while others can speed up cognitive decline and lead to other health issues that indirectly impact Alzheimer’s.
Make sure your loved one’s diet provides the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients necessary to preserve his or her brain health and enhance his or her mood. Physical activity can lower stress, boost cognition, prevent fatigue, and reduce many of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Speak with your loved one’s doctor about appropriate foods and exercises for individuals with Alzheimer’s.
A trained Alzheimer’s caregiver can be a wonderful source of information and support for family caregivers. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of at-home care. Phoenix families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
Prepare for Combative Behavior
Physical and verbal outbursts are common in older adults with Alzheimer’s, especially as the disease progresses. However, many new caregivers aren’t prepared to handle combative behavior. Strategies for managing aggressive behavior include using distraction and redirection techniques and recognizing environmental factors.
Preparing for combativeness could prevent a future episode from escalating. You can reduce behavioral challenges by monitoring your loved one’s comfort levels, developing effective communication methods, and remaining respectful.
The days, weeks, and months following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be challenging for both seniors and their families. However, these challenges can be made less stressful with the help of caregivers trained in professional senior care. Phoenix Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help your loved one enjoy the golden years while simultaneously managing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Call the Assisting Hands Home Care team at 602-847-6549 today.