Share this article on social media!
By: Aimee Campbell
These Five Million Americans Need Care.
This is often where family steps in. A grown son takes care of his mother, a husband takes care of his wife. What does care of a person with Alzheimer’s entail? In the beginning stages it’s not too complicated- making sure they turn off the stove, carrying a tracking device in case they get lost coming home one day. But the later stages entail much more. People with Alzheimer’s become easily confused and disoriented. The phrase sundowner has been coined to describe those that begin to stir as the sun sets and continue to be agitated through the night. They often feel the urge to complete a task that they felt was left undone- the ghosts of a life that is quickly slipping through their fingers. Caregivers are the ones that are up beside their sundowner loved one. They guide them back to bed as they fumble with the door in an attempt to find their way home. They guide them to the bathroom and back, to the bathroom and back, to the bathroom and back. They will sometimes act as an absorber for hurtful words, flying fists, or a cushion to catch a falling body. A person with Alzheimer’s disease will not just forget names and birthdays, they will forget how to bathe, how to walk, how to feed themselves. The caregiver will bathe his father, wash his hair, clip his nails, bring a spoon to his lips three times a day so he can eat. Caregivers often make the sacrifice of their careers in order to take care of their loved one. Many sacrifice their relationships. The body of the Alzheimer’s patient deteriorates, but the life of the caregiver often crumbles beside them.
The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center
The ADRC’s Approach
Share this article on social media!
By: Aimee Campbell
These Five Million Americans Need Care.
This is often where family steps in. A grown son takes care of his mother, a husband takes care of his wife. What does care of a person with Alzheimer’s entail? In the beginning stages it’s not too complicated- making sure they turn off the stove, carrying a tracking device in case they get lost coming home one day. But the later stages entail much more. People with Alzheimer’s become easily confused and disoriented. The phrase sundowner has been coined to describe those that begin to stir as the sun sets and continue to be agitated through the night. They often feel the urge to complete a task that they felt was left undone- the ghosts of a life that is quickly slipping through their fingers. Caregivers are the ones that are up beside their sundowner loved one. They guide them back to bed as they fumble with the door in an attempt to find their way home. They guide them to the bathroom and back, to the bathroom and back, to the bathroom and back. They will sometimes act as an absorber for hurtful words, flying fists, or a cushion to catch a falling body. A person with Alzheimer’s disease will not just forget names and birthdays, they will forget how to bathe, how to walk, how to feed themselves. The caregiver will bathe his father, wash his hair, clip his nails, bring a spoon to his lips three times a day so he can eat. Caregivers often make the sacrifice of their careers in order to take care of their loved one. Many sacrifice their relationships. The body of the Alzheimer’s patient deteriorates, but the life of the caregiver often crumbles beside them.
