Alzheimer's Archives - Alzheimers Support

Dementia Personality Changes Require Caring and Adjusting

Dementia Personality Changes

Require Caring and Adjustment by the Caregiver

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s who has dementia personality changes can be physically, financially, and emotionally challenging. Adjusting to the gradual changes as Alzheimer’s progresses will require you, as the family caregiver, and your family to make several modifications in the way you look after your loved one. While it’s true that providing this care will mean that every day brings with it a new challenge, there are also reasons to be optimistic.

Because more than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, our understanding of the disease and how to care for it is constantly improving. Prepared with a few tips for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, even the most severe symptoms of the disease can be made manageable, allowing you to ensure that your loved one may continue to live a comfortable and rich life for as long as possible.

Adjusting to Changes in Communication

Communication can be difficult for people with Alzheimer’s disease because they may have difficulty finding the right words, trouble understanding what words mean, and may lose their train of thought while speaking. This can be equally frustrating for family caregivers and those they are caring for, which can make it necessary to adopt a few simple changes in the way you try to communicate with your loved one.

Anytime you need to ask for something, try and offer easy step-by-step instructions, and be ready to repeat them.

If your loved one doesn’t understand something you’re saying, rather than repeating yourself verbatim, try to rephrase what it is you want. It’s also a good idea to simplify your questions. For example, rather than asking, “How are you doing?”, you can ask “Are you hungry?” Enabling a simple “yes” or “no” response often makes communication far easier for both parties.

Adjusting to Behavioral Changes

As Alzheimer’s makes the brain less functional over time, your loved one will inevitably have both good days and bad days as gradual changes in behavior occur. Some of the most common changes include becoming upset or angry more easily, misunderstanding things that are seen or heard, pacing around their environment, wandering from home, or losing interest in favorite activities.

Your loved one may also feel anxiety about going to specific places, confusion following changes in routine, or a feeling of being overwhelmed by every day activities. Left unattended, these changes can lead to losing sleep, alcohol abuse, too much caffeine consumption, and a variety of illnesses.

Adjusting to these changes starts with establishing a daily routine that works for your loved one. For example, if losing sleep becomes a problem, you can plan energetic activities early in the day, reduce caffeine consumption, and encourage a bedtime routine. It’s also a good idea to limit any naps that occur through the day, which can contribute to sleeplessness.

If your loved one decides to start pacing, provide them with comfortable shoes, a safe space to walk, and be sure that they remain hydrated. Should wandering become a problem, be sure that they always carry some kind of identification or medical bracelet, allowing others to know about their illness should they get lost.

It can also be a good idea to contact your neighbors or local police to let them know about your loved one’s condition and inclination to wander. Additionally, many people find it useful to install a door chime that rings each time the door is opened.

Care for Family Caregivers

Above all else, you must learn to respect yourself as a family caregiver. After all, you can’t help your loved one when your own well-being is in jeopardy. That means it’s important to know your limits, both physically and emotionally, and be sure to give yourself sufficient rest. Anytime you find yourself becoming frustrated, give yourself a short time-out. You should also try to spread out the responsibilities of care to as many family members as you can, ensuring that the challenges of care don’t become exhausting.

Although caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is never easy, if you follow these simple Alzheimer’s care tips, you can greatly increase the quality of life for yourself and those you care about most.

Guest Post from Griswold Home Care: Since caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be very difficult, Griswold Home Care collected inspirational stories from caregivers of all kinds. Check out these or add your own story to help others at: moments of inspiration

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Can You Tell The Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Natural Aging?

06/162 Comments

Can you tell the difference between Alzheimer’s or Simple Aging? Sometimes it’s difficult to know the difference–

Memory loss is common, particularly among men and women over the age of 65. This could be a simple moment of forgetfulness or it may represent something far more serious. The reality is that people are diagnosed with dementia and progressive brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, every single day. Unfortunately, proper diagnosis is often delayed.

So the question is common. “Can you tell the difference between Alzheimer’s and Natural Aging.”

Why does this happen? It can be difficult to determine the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and age related memory loss.

As you age, your memory will begin to change. This is completely normal. You may notice this happening more often or you may not notice any significant changes at all. The severity of age related memory loss will vary from person to person.

For instance, you may find that you have left your shopping list at home or have missed a dental appointment. These things are bound to happen from time to time…. and for the most part, they are nothing to be concerned about. However, with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on the rise, it is important to be aware of the common symptoms.

While it’s true that memory loss and aging are fairly normal, there are certain things to look out for. One example? Ask yourself if your memory loss has ever affected your day-to-day life. Perhaps you forget about an important date, event, or even someone’s name. Or maybe you have found that you need to rely on memory aids, like to-do lists and pre-set alarms more and more frequently.

Anytime that memory loss begins to impede your daily life, it is a good idea to take note, speak to a friend or family member, or schedule an appointment with your doctor. Remember: while memory loss is normal, memory loss that affects your typical day is not.

Other memory loss issues related to Alzheimer’s disease include difficulty processing and retaining information, solving problems, making good financial decisions, trouble determining the time, date, or where you are at any given moment, misplacing objects or belongings, problems thinking of the right words to use, feelings of isolation or being withdrawn, as well as any changes in general mood or behaviour.

Knowing the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease can help you determine the difference between what is normal – and what you should keep an eye on.

So, can you actually tell the difference between Alzheimer’s and aging related memory loss? You can, but it is all about being aware.

The key is to understand that it isn’t whether or not memory loss is present. Instead, you need to determine how memory loss is affecting your life.

If you find that completing every tasks seems challenging or you begin to feel less social, this could signal a larger problem. In that case, it is important to speak up! Ignoring the issues won’t make it go away. By turning to friends, family members, and professionals, you can begin exercises to strengthen your brain and find ways to slow down the progression of memory related symptoms.

Memory loss can be scary, but it should never be ignored. As you age, it is more important than ever to understand the common symptoms of serious brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. This knowledge can help you seek out appropriate treatment and care options if necessary…. and get back to living your life.

Author: Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He manages the Age Matters Clinic in Toronto, Ontario.

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Glen Campbell’s Battle with Alzheimer is over – The following article was written previously

04/222 Comments

Glen Campbell moved to an Alzheimer’s Care facility

as dementia worsens

Glen Campbell has recently been moved to a Care home since he is no longer well enough to live at home. Campbell has had Alzheimer’s for several years. He kept right on singing and included a farewell tour before he finally became too ill to remember the words to his songs. He stopped his career over three years ago, and recenlty the Grammy-winning singer, 78, has moved into a facility, PEOPLE MAGAZINE has confirmed.

“He was moved to an Alzhemier’s facility last week,” says a family friend. “I’m not sure what the permanent plan is for him yet. We’ll know more next week.”

The “Rhinestone Cowboy” crooner first opened up about having Alzheimer’s to PEOPLE in an exclusive 2011 interview.

Campbell and his fourth wife, Kim Woolen, decided to go public with the news because Campbell hoped to embark on a final farewell live tour. The couple wanted his fans to be aware of his condition in case he forgot lyrics or flubbed a song during the performances.

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As most of us know Alzheimer’s diagnosed 3 years ago had surely begun many years earlier in Glen’s lifetime. I don’t want anyone to think from this article that Alzheimer’s has such a brief time span before it takes away so much from those who have it. Dementia is in progress for many many years before most folks are diagnosed and it can be many more before they need a care home, if at all. Many stay home under the care of family if possible.

Still this is a sad time for Glen’s fans and all those who love his music. We will report any new updates as they are available.

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A Few of Our Favorite Reads about Alzheimers Dementia

01/13Leave a Comment

A Few of our Favorite Reads about

Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Most of these books are available in Paperback or Kindle Version

Our favorite reads help us to learn about Alzheimer’s, to care for loved ones who have Alzheimer’s and to care for ourselves as caregivers. Read a book and learn about this disease, help others, and help yourself.

The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: What You Need to Know–and What You Can Do–about Memory Problems, from Prevention to Early Intervention and Care

A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory..

Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer’s or Dementia: A Journal for Caregivers

Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program: Keep Your Brain Healthy for the Rest of Your Life

Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was a Cure?

The Alzheimer’s Diet: A Step-by-Step Nutritional Approach for Memory Loss Prevention and Treatment (Volume 1)

Alzheimer’s Treatment Alzheimer’s Prevention: A Patient and Family Guide, 2012 Edition

Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief

Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care

When Your Loved One Has Dementia: A Simple Guide for Caregivers

Dementia: The Journey Ahead – A Practical Guide for In-Home Caregivers

What If It’s Not Alzheimer’s?: A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia (Updated & Revised)

You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care

Dementia: From Diagnosis to Management – A Functional Approach

The Simplicity Of Dementia: A Guide For Family And Carers

Managing Alzheimer’s and Dementia Behaviors

The Living End: A Memoir of Forgetting and Forgiving

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“Kisses for Elizabeth” Common Sense Guidelines for Alzheimer’s dementia : Book Review

06/091 Comment

Common Sense Guidelines for Alzheimer’s dementia

KISSES FOR ELIZABETH

by Stephanie Zeman, MSN RN

This Book is a heartwarming sharing of knowledge through life stories about common sense guidelines that are a must-have for the caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s dementia.

A common sense resource, this book will be the place to turn for those having difficulties due to Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Too often the family is feeling confused and angry, unsure about appropriate care. Many behaviors experienced because of dementia create confusion for all.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia behaviors are totally unpredictable and challenging for any caregiver.

Ms Zeman discusses several kinds of dementia, each with its own behavior patterns. These behaviors may vary from one person to the next. She explains how a single person may have more than one type of dementia, creating even more issues with a variety of behaviors. Many behaviors are stressful for the person with dementia and challenging for the caregiver as well.

With this book, Stephanie Zeman shares heartfelt stories of her days as a Geriatric nurse with dementia patients and experiences while educating and training families and professionals about dementia care.

In the very first Chapter we meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth of all those Kisses! This was the sweetest story. I saw reflections of my own mother in “Elizabeth.” Who would think of kisses while someone with dementia threw an angry tantrum? Rather than recite the story, I’ll let you read it for yourself. It’s delightful. I will give a small spoiler.

Elizabeth loved kisses and they had a calming effect on her

Ms Zeman educates others about caring for someone with dementia through 15 Guidelines– She doesn’t have to discuss or explain these guidelines because she shows each one in action through a collection of personal stories. The absolute best way to learn.

She speaks of the dementia patient who no longer wants to shower, whether from fear or irritability— Then she shows how to handle it with common sense for the best result.

Whether it’s personal hygiene, lost inhibitions, sleeplessness, wandering, sundowning, a physical issue, or emotional issue— Stephanie Zeman finds a common sense solution that leaves the caregiver as well as the person with dementia feeling good about themselves. Every solution enhances the quality of life and lowers frustration for the person with dementia.

The 15 Guidelines speak of putting yourself in place of someone else and learning how they feel.

Learning to use tools like common sense, respect, dignity, appropriate activities, communication, independence, feel goods, something important to do, understanding, guided choices, validation of feelings, holistic care, diversion and distraction, and even religion.

I think you get the idea. Each story gives so many guidelines I could never list them all, but it means care and love and kindness and choices for the person with Alzheimer’s and dementia and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction for the caregiver as well.

As you read “Kisses for Elizabeth” you will meet Elizabeth along with Jane the Lead Nurse, Stephanie Zeman the Author, Grandma the Singer/Bubble Aficionado, Peggy the Fashionista, Charlie the man with 2 wives (both agreeable of course), Harold the Foreman and Harriet the Seductress and many many others. You’ll get to know and love them all. You’ll be able to put yourself in their place and understand what it’s like to be confused and unsure and to crave choices and things from a time long ago.

As a caregiver, you’ll learn how to help your loved one make their own choices because making choices–

Makes People Feel Good! Giving your loved one choices whenever possible creates pleasure and reduces frustration. When your loved one is happy, you are happy. And I can tell you, this book will make you happy.

It’s been a great pleasure to read and review this book and meet all the wonderful people inside. ~Sandy

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Author: Stephanie Zeman MSN RN is a nurse specialist in dementia care and she has worked with this fragile population for over 20 years. Her experience with dementia patients includes hands on care, the development of several dementia units and the provision of education and training for families and professionals. She was a past chair of the training committee for The Northern Virginia Alzheimer’s Chapter and was a board member for several years. Stephanie has frequently been a speaker for programs and seminars on dementia care and has been a presenter at the National Alzheimer’s Association Educational Conferences.

Website: Kisses for Elizabeth

“KISSES FOR ELIZABETH”