How to Care for People With Alzheimer's

Caring for people with Alzheimer's is an emotional task. Though rewarding at the end of the day, it can also be draining, especially if the person you are caring for is a loved one. There are many issues that can arise with an Alzheimer's patient, so it is best to be prepared, both for your sake as well as the patient's.

Instructions

• 1

  Monitor their eating habits closely. If they are still feeding themselves, they must be watched. Advanced Alzheimer's patients often forget how to chew and swallow, thus making them susceptible to choking. Also, it is important to make sure they are eating healthy foods and getting the nutrients they need. Some Alzheimer's patients forget to eat or may decide to eat only junk food, not realizing that they need fruits and vegetables too.

• 2

  Wash them regularly. Alzheimer's patients will forget to do this, so it is up to the caregiver. This can include bathing, changing clothes, brushing teeth and other hygiene issues. If they don't have complete control of bowel movements, you will have to check them often, perhaps every hour, to see if they need clean clothes. If they have an accident and are not promptly changed, infections can set in.

• 3

  Read stories to calm them. The level of the severity of Alzheimer's will depend on the stories you may want to read. Advanced Alzheimer's patients will delight in children's books. Reading to people with Alzheimer's has been known to help calm and relax them. We read bedtime stories to children at night to help relax them, and it works just as well with some Alzheimer patients.

• 4

  Hire a nurse, or have someone else there to help care for the person with Alzheimer's. It is important to realize that you cannot do it 24 hours a day, which an Alzheimer's patient requires. Alzheimer's patients need to be monitored at all times. Often, an Alzheimer's patient wakes in the middle of the night and may wander outside and into the road, forgetting where she is, or may wander into the kitchen and turn on the stove. Someone should be with her at all times.

• 5

  Be very patient and offer non-stop unconditional love. Alzheimer's patients are easily frustrated and agitated. They don't understand why others don't always understand them. By being there for them and being patient through these spells, you are helping make their day better.

• 6

  Visit the doctor regularly. It is important for Alzheimer's patients to have their condition monitored by a professional. Keep scheduled appointments and be in communication with the doctor if anything changes with their condition.