Tips For How To Help A Loved One Through Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a painful disease to suffer through for the person with the disease and also for loved ones near the patient
. It is a degenerative disease of the brain that gets progressively worse and can affect millions of people. Though it already affects many people, that number is expected to double in the next twenty years.It can be a very scary thought when you realize exactly how many people may experience Alzheimer's in one way or another. That's why it's so important to find a solution that will provide care, like senior home care, or otherwise find ways to manage Alzheimer's for the loved one.
Although the number of people suffering from Alzheimer's continues to grow, many people are still unaware how to spot the actual symptoms. If you can catch the warning signs early, though, you have a much better chance to take a proactive approach to the problem and prepare a number of ways to deal with it. This will also help you decide if a senior home care system is the right choice.
Some of the most common symptoms are (but are not limited to): memory loss that seems to get worse over time, various speech impairments, and an impaired ability to make decisions or a tendency to make decisions that are completely out of character. Of course, these symptoms may be more pronounced if someone has had a serious head injury or has had a history of Alzheimer's in the family.
If you suspect someone of being in the early stages of Alzheimer's, the best thing to do is to seek out a formal diagnosis from a trusted doctor. The doctor will then begin to monitor the person's behavioral symptoms, daily functions, and cognitive abilities.
Depending on the prognosis, you may decide that senior home care is your best option. You might even decide that this is the right time to assign Power of Attorney in case the patient suddenly can't make independent decisions. The doctor should also set up regular appointments for new evaluations.
The best advice for Alzheimer's patients is to form a proactive treatment plan. Before you immediately look toward pharmaceutical drugs, try some other methods such as selecting appropriate activities and joining an early stages Alzheimer's social group. You should also try modifying their environment to something more comfortable and safe.
You should always try your best to keep the patient actively involved with their own treatment, and try to discuss all the legal and financial matters that have to be resolved. Many senior home care services will offer a lot of help when you need to get everything sorted out.
by: Jordan McPelt