When a senior reaches the middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), they begin to require more care than they previously did. The middle stage of AD is usually the longest stage of the disease and can last for years. Seniors may have more trouble performing tasks and communicating effectively. They may struggle finding the right words, find dressing difficult, and get angry or frustrated easily. The job of family caregivers and elderly care providers becomes more difficult than it was before.Caregiving Changes in the Middle Stage
The middle stage of AD requires a great deal of flexibility and patience. The daily routines you’ve been following may no longer work, so you’ll need to adjust them. Your parent may need more time to do things like dress or eat. And, as their abilities continue to change, the routine will have to keep changing, too.
Because caregiving gets more difficult in the middle stage, family caregivers might need more help, too. You may find it helpful to join online groups for Alzheimer’s caregivers or a support group. If you have not yet hired an elderly care provider, this may be a good time to do so. Elderly care providers can give family caregivers a break from their duties and provide care while family members are at work or taking time to be with other family members.
Middle Stage Caregiving Tips
Below are some tips for helping you manage changing behaviors and abilities as your parent’s disease progresses:
- During communication, make sure you have your parent’s attention before you begin talking. Try saying their name first and make sure they are focused on you. It’s also a good idea to reduce or eliminate background noise, such as the radio or television. Keep instructions simple and break them down into steps. However, don’t talk down to your parent as if they were a child and avoid talking about them as though they were not present.
- Keep the times of day when your parent is most alert in mind when scheduling things like medical appointments.
- Allow your parent to make choices, but don’t offer them so many choices that they are overwhelmed. For example, when planning lunch, give your parent two things to choose between like a sandwich or soup.
- If your parent finds bathing difficult or frightening, as many people with AD do, be patient. Have everything you will need for the bath prepared ahead of time. As you help your parent bathe, tell them everything you are going to do as you do it. Let your parent do as much as they can on their own.
Because caregiving becomes more time consuming as AD progresses, you may find it necessary to involve more family members and schedule more time for your parent to spend with elderly care providers. Be sure that all caregivers are on the same page regarding your parent’s care and share as much information as possible with one another.
Sources
http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-mid-moderate-stage-caregiving.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/caregivers/in-depth/alzheimers-caregiver/art-20047577
http://www.wai.wisc.edu/resources/patients_and_caregivers/caregiving_tips.html
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED-ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDERLY CARE IN RIVERSIDE, IL, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT BRIGHTSTAR CARE OF LA GRANGE. CALL TODAY 708-551-2500.