The director of The Cottages offers tips for making the labor of love easier.
Amarillo, TX, June 17, 2016 – Caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease is a labor of love, but it’s one that can take a steady toll on caregivers. One of the best ways to lessen the potential impacts involves employing strategies to ensure day-to-day interactions go as smoothly as possible.
“While it may not always be possible to help a loved one living with Alzheimer’s maintain an even keel, there are ways caregivers can enhance the odds in their favor,” says Trent Quinn, founder, president and CEO of The Cottages. “Very simple strategies can keep agitation at bay while helping ensure caregivers experience as low a stress level as possible.”
Some of the strategies Quinn suggests include:
- Learning to tailor communication – Communication abilities can vary greatly in the different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. While a loved one experience very little impact in the beginning, at later stages verbal communication can become quite impaired. Caregivers can help themselves by learning about the stages, what to expect and tailoring their communication efforts accordingly.
- Planning ahead – Having a plan in place to cope with hallucinations, paranoia and delusions can help make these possible developments less frightening for the loved one and the caregiver. Should these issues arise, it is sometimes best to play along. In some cases, however, acknowledging the loved one’s fear and removing triggers that set it off can help. In certain cases, mediation may be the best bet.
- Just breathe – One of the best ways a caregiver can help a loved one is to remain calm. There’s no need to combat anger with anger or agitation with agitation. After all, doing so may amplify the situation. Take a time out to breathe, if necessary, but strive to maintain calm. It’s also critical in this situation for caregivers to remember to care for themselves.
An estimated 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today. Loved ones often provide the necessary care, but it’s important for them to remember they do not stand alone. Adult daycare, respite care and long-term memory care facilities can offer help and peace of mind when they are needed.
About The Cottages Senior Living
The Cottages have been operating in Texas since 1997 and are family owned and operated by The Cottages Senior Living. The Cottages are state-of-the-art certified assisted living residences for people living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders.
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