According to the Alzheimer’s Association®, every 65 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease and one in three seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia dies. Unfortunately, this makes it the 6th leading cause of death within the United States.
Caring for a loved one with memory loss is time-consuming, emotional and rewarding. In fact, many caregivers sacrifice their income, their jobs, time spent with family and friends and self-care to ensure their loved one is safe, happy and well. Caregiving is not an easy job. There are endless tasks to do, challenging behaviors to face and new experiences and changes each day. Often, caregivers get little to no support.
Dementia is a complex medical diagnosis that can affect each individual and their family differently. Because of this, being a caregiver to a loved one with dementia can be a lot to take on. Trying to figure out what is the best way to care for your loved one and aide them in this life transition can be extremely overwhelming, and almost impossible, if you don’t know what to expect.
Until there is a cure for dementias like Alzheimer’s, it’s essential to find alternative ways to alleviate the disease’s symptoms and challenging behaviors.
Even for the most resourceful family caregivers, tending to the needs of a loved one with a chronic condition or memory loss is a lot to bear. The emotional, physical and financial burdens involved with caregiving make it easy for caregivers to experience burnout, stress and anxiety over their roles. Without knowing how to take care of yourself and acknowledge when you need support, caregiving can quickly have negative impacts on your life. “According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 83 percent of senior care in the US.
In sickness and in health… When we get married, these are words we all hear. We vow to be there for the one we love for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. While ‘in sickness or in health’ may not hit too close to home at a young age, as couples get older this becomes a very possible reality, especially with the rise of health problems such as memory loss.
Your sweet-tempered father starts swearing and lashing out. Your mom lives with you but keeps trying to go “home.” Neither one makes bath time easy.
The words “dementia diagnosis” call for big decisions to be made, not the least of which is where the person will live. In this post, we’ll consider three appropriate care settings for people with memory loss.
CARE SETTING #1: THEIR OWN HOME
WHEN IT MIGHT BE RIGHT: EARLY TO MILD STAGES
When people with dementia still demand to hold on to independence and make their own decisions, but they’ve lost the competency to do so, their loved ones – even those with power of attorney – who have to say ‘no’ are put in tough spots.
If you are serving as a caregiver to a loved one with memory loss, you may be wondering if your loved one needs more care than you feel you are able to provide. But when is it the right time to make the move to Memory Care? How will I know? While there’s no set answer for when the best time is, there is a general set of guidelines that can help you decide. This, however, all depends on you and your loved one.