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Providing Alzheimer's care to a relative can be difficult and stressful. Watching an elderly parent or relative suffer from this disease can be heartbreaking, especially if you're the primary caregiver. The skills that your loved one loses generally can't be regained, and you will have to help them adjust to the disease and alter their daily routine accordingly. One of the most important things to remember is that proper health, nutrition, and socialization are essential elements of proper Alzheimer's care. You should work to create a diet that will help your loved one eat well and stay healthy. You may want to talk to a nutritionist to figure out what vitamins and minerals they need and how best to incorporate those nutrients into a balanced diet. Exercise is also important. You should take your loved one for walks or figure out a way for them to exercise inside your home. In addition to nutrition and exercise, you should give your loved one many opportunities for socialization. Visit with them often and take them on outings to see family or friends. If your loved one has limited mobility or is not well enough to go out much, see if you can get friends and family members to come by once every couple weeks for a chat. Another essential part of Alzheimer's care is creating a sense of structure. You should establish a routine for your relative so that he or she can have a normal schedule. Becoming familiar with this routine and mastering it will provide your loved one with a sense of meaning and purpose and give them a feeling of accomplishment. It will also help them acclimate to life with the disease. You should stick to simple tasks and instructions at first so you don't overwhelm your loved one. As they master the routine, you can try to gradually build up to more complex tasks. Ideally, you should try to allow your relative to complete as many tasks on his or her own as possible, but you should always be on hand to provide reassurance and assistance if necessary. Providing "cues" to initiate desired behavior can also help your loved one settle into a familiar routine and successfully complete tasks. This includes things like labeling drawers according to what they should contain or writing out a schedule or chart to prompt your relative to remember what he or she needs to do that day. These types of cues will make it easier for your loved one to adapt to life with the disease. Keeping your loved one safe is another important part of providing Alzheimer's care. This means you should carefully go over your home to make sure there is nothing around that could harm your loved one, such as matches or knives. Furniture with sharp edges can also be dangerous. To make sure your house is as safe as possible, invite a neighbor over and have him or her look through the home with you. Your neighbor may be able to spot hazards that you would have otherwise missed. Looking for professional Alzheimer's care? Hillsborough, NJ area residents, click here: http://www.bridgewayseniorcare.com.
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