For many of us, it's our worst nightmare: One of our parents gets sick, and we have to become caregivers to an Alzheimer's patient. You love your family and desperately want to help them, but most likely you're not a trained health care professional.
No one can tell you exactly what to do, but you can prepare as much as possible and then do your best. That's all any of us can do.
Take this quiz about caring for an Alzheimer's patient to see how well prepared you are.
Ordinary household items that might be dangerous to keep around an Alzheimer's patient include:
All of the above.
Even items that don't seem dangerous to you could be hazardous to Alzheimer's patients. It's an unfortunate but true analogy: Securing your home for an Alzheimer's patient is a bit like child-proofing a home.
In order to prepare your home for an Alzheimer's patient, you should:
A and B.
Err on the side of caution. Make sure that you secure anything that could pose a danger to someone with a tendency to become disoriented.
When should you the discuss financial and legal issues associated with caregiving and end of life with an Alzheimer's patient?
As early as possible after diagnosis.
It's no secret that Alzheimer's disease affects a person's brain function. The longer you wait to talk about the big questions, the less chance you have that the patient will be able to fully participate in the discussion. It will be difficult, but it's necessary.
Sticking to a strict routine with Alzheimer's patients is a bad idea. They need daily surprises to keep their mind active.
False.
Creating a routine around essential activities like bathing and eating will allow you to make sure these things happen at a time of day when your loved one has enough energy to cooperate.
Which of the following is an unpleasant behavior that can occur in normally mild-mannered Alzheimer's patients.
It can be difficult to witness, but you can't take these behaviors personally if they occur. Remember, your loved one has a disease that is making them act this way.
Caregiving is hard work, and it can affect your health. In about how many cases does the patient outlive the caregiver?
One in three.
It's an alarming statistic, but it just shows how taxing it is to be a caregiver. If you find yourself in a caregiving position, make sure to reach out to friends and family for support, and to give yourself periodic breaks.
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