Sponsor: The Strand Theatre of ShreveportFaceBook Page | Subscribe Online! | Advertiser Info | Contact Us
  
  

  Search
         Search Magazine
         Search News
         Search Radio
  


  Sponsor
Avazzia
  

  RSS Feeds
MagazineRSS 2.0
NewsRSS 2.0
RadioRSS 2.0
EventsRSS 2.0
  
  
  Article View
Download Issue   |   Print Article
How to Care for a Loved One with Dementia *ONLINE ONLY*
November 2024
By Barbara Gutierrez

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD) for an aging loved one can be devastating for a family.

In 2023, it was estimated that 6.7 million Americans of all ages had the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. More than 11 million people care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 80 percent of those patients are cared for in the home.

Dr. Elizabeth Crocco is a geriatric psychiatrist and the medical director of the Memory Disorders Clinic Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Over the course of her career, she has seen thousands of patients and their families. She reports that for some families, the diagnosis of ADRD can be helpful because it ultimately can explain that the illness is not just due to normal aging. For others, a diagnosis can be scary.

“It can be frightening because they know that it is irreversible and that it progresses,” she said. “The idea that the person will lose part of who they are, not just cognitively, but part of their essential personality, brings up a lot of feelings.”

Cognitive impairment is the hallmark feature of ADRD, but these illnesses can also have behavioral changes. These include agitation, irritability, depression, and anxiety. It is important for care providers to learn how to handle these situations while also maintaining their own mental health, she said.

In her clinic, Crocco and her team work with care providers so that they understand the condition and can better manage its symptoms. This includes how to communicate with the loved one.

“The memory issue is not the only problem that is making one’s loved one suffer, and a family member can have a difficult time,” she said. “It is the psychiatric and behavioral symptoms that are often the most difficult to deal with: depression, anxiety, anger issues, agitation, along with resistance to care and help.” Medications, of course, can help, but effective and consistent caregiving is paramount in coping with a patient with ADRD.

Crocco offered some helpful tips that can make taking care of an individual with ADRD easier:

Establish a Routine - Consistency is key. Chaotic home situations are not kind to people with cognitive impairment. Traveling is a change of routine that can lead to more behavioral problems and confusion. If they resist a task, try not to force them to do it. Wait an hour or more as their attitude may change later.

Keep Calm - Keeping calm and composed is important when dealing with a loved one with ADRD. Also, remember that your reality might not be theirs, and you need to be respectful. Crocco’s mother had dementia. She tells this story: “One time I was at my mother’s house, and I had left a piece of pizza on the stove. My mother began screaming and cursing because there was a piece of pizza on the stove, and it upset her. I took the pizza off the stove, washed the area down, and I said: ‘I am so sorry, Mom, that I upset you.’ She calmed down immediately.”

Sundowning - It can happen earlier than expected, in the late afternoon. During this time, for both biological and situational reasons, an ADRD individual may become more confused, disoriented, agitated, and paranoid, as well as anxious and fearful. It is important for loved ones to predict patterns to minimize problems behaviorally without always opting for medications.

Therapeutic Fibbing - Cognitive decline often leaves the person with memories of the past. If a loved one has forgotten that someone is deceased, they may repeatedly ask about them. At times, it might be better to let them believe that they are still alive. “What is the alternative?” asked Crocco. “Letting them relive the death over and over again?” Often arguing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a losing proposition and only leads to agitation and discord. “You argue and you lose,” said Crocco.

Use Music and Pets - Often introducing preferred music from the loved ones’ era can assist in preventing behavioral problems and be very entertaining and enjoyable. Bringing in pets for ADRD individuals to interact with can also assist. It is well known that having animal or pet interactions can lower ones’ stress level as well as blood pressure, said Crocco.

Seek Help - An adult day care center is a good alternative to help a care provider with the help of a loved one with ADRD, said Crocco. Besides providing social interaction and dementia care during the day, it also affords the caretaker time to work or rest, said Crocco.

Learn more about the Memory Disorders Clinic at the University of Miami Health System at https://umiamihealth.org/en/treatments-and-services/psychiatry/memory-disorders-clinic

  

  November 2024 -- Online Articles
>>Make the Criminals Pay
>>Blue Zones "Power 9" Principles for Longevity
>>The Separation of Church and State
>>5 Natural Strategies to Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides
>>Sleep Apnea is More Than a Snore
>>Women in War
>>Coastal Cruise: Round the Clock Food, Festivities and Fun
>>Walk On
>>Peggy March's Monster 60s Hit Still Follows Her
>>How to Care for a Loved One with Dementia *ONLINE ONLY*
>>Are You Addicted to Busyness? Here’s How to Break the Habit *ONLINE ONLY*
>>Tips and Recipes for a Healthy Holiday Season *ONLINE ONLY*
>>Small Towns with BIG Claims to Fame *ONLINE ONLY*
>>IRS Warns Against Scams Targeting Louisiana Seniors *ONLINE ONLY*
  

  Other Online Issues
November/December 2024
Online Articles
Download (8.05 MB)
Issue Viewer
September/October 2024
Online Articles
Download (5.89 MB)
Issue Viewer
  
Subscribe Online! | Advertiser Info | Contact Us | Privacy Statement | Confidentiality Policy
©TBT Multimedia, Inc. 2024