You And Your Loved One With Alzheimer's

When a person is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, approaching your doctor isn’t easy for all of those concerned. Many questions will arise. So make a list each time you think of something that you want to know. Remember there is no stupid question unless you don’t ask for an answer. Be sure to be open and honest no matter how much it may hurt. Accurate details of all changes are very important; this might help make the decisions of the diagnosis and the medication needed to assist your loved one.

Some of the changes you need to watch for are memory loss; small everyday tasks may turn into a hard struggle for them. There are many changes to watch for as the Alzheimer’s start to progress. Getting dressed, forgetting how to do the buttons, or maybe putting something on upside down whatever it maybe just watch and be sure to put all of these into a journal.

A journal is important for the doctor and whoever is caring for your loved one. Your doctor will need all the information you can provide to him to help with the treatment.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s so you’ll see a lot of new change everyday. Your life and the loved one will have to learn how to adjust to all new changes as they occur. Aricept is one medication for treatment that helps to slow down the process and let them live a longer normal life if caught at an early stage. Aricept has helped many Alzheimer’s patients with slowing down the process by letting them keep in touch with themselves longer.

You will need to learn new skills in order to make your loved one feel comfortable and safe. It isn’t an easy job and could become a full time job eventually. Sometimes it takes 10 years before your loved one will be in the final stages. Getting prepared and planning for the future will help everyone and make things go more smoothly. See a lawyer and have a power of attorney appointed, maybe let the loved one make out their living will before they progress to the stage that they are to confuse to do on their own.
You will see and experience many changes as the Alzheimer’s progresses. There are three stages that, which include mild, moderate, and the server stage. The mild stage is the beginning where the patient can still do for himself or herself. Time goes on and disease will keep progressing to the moderate stage heading to the server or final stage.

During the mild stage, your loved one can still function with little or no supervision. The moderate stage you will notice more changes more and more. Arguing more, seeing things, depression might set in, they will get lost even in their own home, forgetting more each day, so many things changing all the time.

Severe Alzheimer's will start causing them to have even harder times. They might have a hard time talking and communicating with their caregivers. Communicating is a hard task for them when they are getting more and more confused each day. To help them communicate talk slowly in a soft tone, keep good eye contact; don’t treat them as a baby remembers they are adults. Listening very carefully will help them when they are trying to talk; it will confuse them more if you have to keep asking over and over what they are saying to you; making the angry. Remember your loved one doesn’t want to be a burden so try to keep things simple.