Self-care is an essential part of wellness and health. No matter your age, it's important to look after your physical, mental, and emotional health. But if you have Alzheimer’s or are caring for someone with it, you can sometimes lose sight of self-care among all the other challenges. Having a strategy to keep up with self-care can ensure you have balance.
Learn about Alzheimer’s disease self-care strategies and tips that make it possible to support a loved one's physical, mental, and emotional health without neglecting your own self-care.
Why Self-Care Matters for Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's caregiving can be a rewarding experience that helps you find purpose and build a closer bond with your loved one. However, caregiving also can be incredibly demanding. That's why it's important for people with Alzheimer's disease to practice self-care. It can help both of you reduce day-to-day stress and improve the overall caregiving experience.
A good first step is a daily routine that provides a predictable structure, including regular times for getting up, going to bed, having meals, and doing activities. This can help reduce stress and anxiety for your loved one. Having a routine also can help people with dementia preserve a sense of independence and control.
Self-care is essential for caregivers, too. Caregivers tend to put their own needs last, which can lead to burnout. It's important not to put your own health in jeopardy. Following dementia caregiver tips(Opens in a new window) like prioritizing sleep, staying hydrated, and taking regular breaks from Alzheimer's caregiving can help you stay healthy and provide better care to your loved one.
How to Promote Physical Health with Alzheimer’s
While eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise isn't a cure for Alzheimer's disease, these self-care habits can help your loved one live well for as long as possible.
To support your loved one's physical well-being, try these Alzheimer’s disease self-care strategies:
- Take a Walk Together: Regular physical exercise helps manage the restlessness that can contribute to wandering. For safety, choose flat, even paths and stick to familiar routes.
- Stay Active Throughout the Day: Encourage your loved one to remain active in everyday ways. For example, you could involve them in household chores, such as watering plants or sweeping floors.
- Offer Healthy Foods: Poor nutrition can worsen symptoms and make Alzheimer's caregiving more difficult. A nutritious diet like the MIND Diet(Opens in a new window) can help in the battle against dementia. Include vegetables, fruits, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Limit sodium and refined sugars.
- Simplify Meals: Mealtimes can be stressful for both the person with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. To make mealtimes easier, serve familiar meals on a predictable schedule. Consider offering one food item at a time.
How to Promote Mental Health with Alzheimer’s
There is evidence that cognitive engagement can benefit people who have mild to moderate dementia(Opens in a new window) who have mild to moderate dementia, like Alzheimer's. Taking part in brain-stimulating activities may lead to small benefits in thinking and remembering, as well as improved mood and well-being.
Effective brain-stimulating games and activities(Opens in a new window) you might consider include:
- Scrabble
- Crosswords and word searches
- Memory games
- Trivia
- Chess or checkers
- Card games
Music, art, and storytelling can also help stimulate the brain(Opens in a new window).
When choosing activities to do together during Alzheimer's caregiving, consider your loved one's abilities and interests. In the early stages of Alzheimer's(Opens in a new window), brain games and activities can help slow down memory loss and improve cognitive abilities. As the disease progresses, however, more practical everyday activities such as folding laundry, setting the table, or sorting socks can provide cognitive engagement.
To help your loved one succeed in their mental health self-care, provide cues or demonstrate the activity first.
How to Promote Emotional Health with Alzheimer’s
People who have Alzheimer's disease still feel a wide range of emotions and have a basic human need for socialization. However, they may have less control over how they interact with others or express their feelings.
For example, in Alzheimer's, feelings of anxiety or loneliness can show as agitation. Signs of agitation in dementia include frequent pacing, trouble sleeping, and aggressive behavior.
Sundowning(Opens in a new window) is agitation and restlessness that typically occurs late in the day. It can be triggered by tiredness, hunger, pain, lack of sunlight exposure during the day, overstimulation, or disrupting the sleep-wake cycle.
To help manage anger and Sundowners Syndrome(Opens in a new window), schedule time for activities that help your loved one connect with others and share their feelings. These activities could include:
- Ask Friends and Family to Visit: People with Alzheimer's often enjoy having visitors, even if they don't remember the person. To reduce stress, keep visits brief and limit the number of people who come over at one time. Consider the person's interests to communicate with care and compassion(Opens in a new window).
- Join Group Social Activities: The Alzheimer's Association offers social engagement programs(Opens in a new window) for people in the early stages of dementia and their caregivers. You might also find dementia-friendly social activities at your local senior center.
- Create Art: Art offers a way for people with dementia to express their feelings and relieve stress. Some examples of art projects for Alzheimer's caregiving include sculpting with clay, coloring in adult coloring books, or painting with watercolors.
- Listen to Music: The parts of the brain that process musical memories tend to be less affected(Opens in a new window) by Alzheimer's disease. To calm your loved one or boost their mood, try listening to or singing familiar songs.
Creating a Supportive and Safe Environment for People with Alzheimer’s
The vast majority of older adults (88%) say they want to live in their own homes for as long as possible(Opens in a new window). Home safety modifications support Alzheimer's disease self-care by helping your loved one remain in familiar, comfortable surroundings. Modifications benefit the rest of the family, too, by making Alzheimer's caregiving less stressful.
The specific changes you'll need to make to create a supportive, safe environment(Opens in a new window) will vary depending on your loved one's home and stage of dementia. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Address Safety Hazards: Walk through the home to find potential hazards. For example, remove loose rugs, store cleaning supplies in locked cabinets, and improve lighting in dimly lit areas.
- Use Dementia-Friendly Decor: Dementia-friendly decor aims to reduce anxiety and help your loved one navigate their home. Choose contrasting colors on walls and floors, avoid busy patterns, and label rooms with signs or pictures.
- Install Alarms: If your loved one tends to wander, install alarms that alert you when a window or door is opened so that you can respond quickly.
- Consider Tracking Devices: Location devices let you look up your loved one's location or get an alert when they leave a certain zone. Options include wearable GPS devices and smartphone apps.
Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Tips
As a dementia caregiver(Opens in a new window), it's important to prioritize your own well-being. Taking care of yourself helps you stay healthy, ward off burnout, and provide the best possible care to your loved one.
Self-care starts with being realistic about how much you can handle. It's okay to ask friends or family members for help.
Take advantage of the professional resources available to you, whether that's a meal delivery service that reduces your workload or respite care(Opens in a new window) that lets you take time off.
You can also call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline(Opens in a new window) (800-272-3900) to learn about Alzheimer’s caregiver resources in your area.
BrightStar Care® Specializes in Alzheimer’s and Memory Care
BrightStar Care® caregivers are ready to support you and your loved ones living with Alzheimer's disease. Whether you're looking for in-home care services(Opens in a new window) or memory care services(Opens in a new window) for your loved one or a reliable medical staffing(Opens in a new window) partner for your organization, our experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location(Opens in a new window) near you, contact us(Opens in a new window) online or call (866) 618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.