how to care for someone with alzheimer's
DESCRIPTION
In this slideshow, Tom Knox, founder of CareFamily.com, talks about how to care for someone with Alzheimer's. In the presentation, which was originally used for a webinar registration, there is a lot of information on this subject from personal stories and experience. A lot of the same kind of problems often appear with Alzheimer's patients, so it's vital that you are ready for these problems when they arise. Whether you are caring for your senior loved one or you are a caregiver caring for a senior, this guide will help give you a general overview for this kind of care. To get more in depth training, go to some of the resources we list at the end of the presentation. We hope this helps equip you in your journey of caring for someone with Alzheimer's.TRANSCRIPT
November 20, 2013
Presented by:
Tom Knox
Caregiving for Alzheimer’s and
Dementia Patients
CareFamily.com
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.
What is Alzheimer’s?
CareFamily.com
Understanding Changes in Behavior
• Aggression and Anger
• Anxiety and Agitation
• Memory Loss and Confusion
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Suspicion and Delusions
• Sleep Issues and Sundowning
• Repetition
• Wandering and Getting Lost
CareFamily.com
Top Five Tips for Caregiving
1. Try not to take behavior personally
2. Remain patient and calm
3. Explore pain as a trigger
4. Don’t argue or try to convince
5. Accept behaviors as a reality of the disease and try to work through it
CareFamily.com
Care at All Stages of Alzheimer’s: Early-Stage
• What to Expecto Mild changes in the ability to think and learno Continues to participate in daily activities, and two-way dialogueo Could last for years
• Some Good Activitieso Keep track of appointmentso Help in remembering words or nameso Help in recalling familiar places or peopleo Keep track of medicationso Planning or organizing
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, a person may function independently.
CareFamily.com
Care at All Stages of Alzheimer’s: Middle-Stage
• What to Expecto Difficult to express thoughts and perform routine taskso Could get frustrated or angryo Could act in unexpected ways, such as refusing to bathe
• Some Good Activitieso Use calm voice when responding to repeated questionso Respond to the emotion, instead of the specific question; the
person may simply need reassuranceo Use simple written reminders if the person can still reado Be aware of changes – a physician should rule out physical
problems or medication side effects
The middle stages of Alzheimer’s are typically the longest and can last for years
CareFamily.com
Care at All Stages of Alzheimer’s: Late-Stage
• What to Expecto Difficulty eating and swallowingo Needs assistance walking and eventually is unable to walko Needs full-time help with personal careo Vulnerable to infections, especially pneumoniao Loses the ability to communicate with words
• Some Good Activitieso Play his or her favorite musico Read portions of books that have meaning for the persono Look at old photoso Prepare a favorite foodo Rub lotion with a favorite scent into skino Brush the person’s hairo Sit outside together on a nice day
The late stage of Alzheimer’s disease may last from several weeks to several years
Tips for Communicating with Alzheimer’s Patients• Changes in Communication
o Using familiar words repeatedlyo Inventing new words to describe familiar objectso Easily losing his or her train of thoughto Reverting back to a native languageo Having difficulty organizing words logicallyo Speaking less often
• What You Can do to Helpo Be patient and supportiveo Offer comfort and reassuranceo Avoid criticizing and correctingo Avoid arguingo Offer a guesso Encourage unspoken communicationo Limit distractionso Focus on feelings, not facts
Excellent Resources• Alzheimer’s Association
o www.alz.orgo www.communityresourcefinder.orgo Offices / Chapters throughout the U.S.o 24-Hour Helpline: 1-800-272-3900
• Carefamily.como Info.CareFamily.como Videos, webinars, white papers and articles
• Online educationo Alz.org
✓ E-learning workshops, training and certification, books and DVDs
o CareFamily.com✓ Free courses; certification
You can Find Courses at Carefamily.com
Easy access from the Carefamily “Dashboard.”
Register today at:
www.carefamily.comFor full access
A Great Example of a FREE Course!
Great, Relevant Course
Offerings to Continue your education
“ My beloved grandmother was neglected in a facility. It inspired me to start an agency that successfully hired and cared for thousands of seniors at home. I have realized that there are great caregivers who want to build their careers at a livable wage. Our goal is to provide you great career options with the best families in America.”
- Tom Knox, Founder
Our Story … Your Story
Held by my great grandmother … 4 Generations of my family.
