Understanding How to Cope Up With Alzheimer Patients
Aging comes with various body complications, and mental state deterioration is just one of them. It might not be easy to know when your mental health is deteriorating, but you can read a few signs such as forgetfulness which might happen frequently. For instance, you will forget simple details that occurred recently and sometimes; it might take time to remember family members. It is a scary moment for family members especially when they do not know how to handle a loved one with mental illness. Sometimes, even the patient might not know what to do. Taking care of a loved living with Alzheimer’s disease is not easy, and there are a few things you should know to make life easy and comfortable for them.
Take note of the trigger and avoid them. Various triggers worsen the condition, and the triggers are unique to every patient. To notice these triggers, you must be keen and write them down. Let everyone around the patient observe and take notes and then later compare the notes. You can also ask the patient if he has noticed some of the triggers. Avoid the triggers as much as you can to manage the condition.
Ensure that the environment is safe for the patient. In some instances, Alzheimer patients might get hurt if the environment has dangerous objects. They can get out of control and disappear and that exposes them to a lot of dangers. If the disease is in a critical stage, you must provide a safe environment for the patient. Identify any hazardous objects such as knives and store them safely from the patient and if you cannot watch them, employ a full-time caretaker. Many senior centers are available, and you can choose a suitable one for your loved one. Allow the patient to participate in selecting the right senior care center to make him feel in control.
The patient must be on a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Maintain your mental health by firstly taking care of your body. Improve your mental capability by living a healthy lifestyle. Enroll the patient to fitness classes. Professional fitness instructors are best suited to handle your Alzheimer patient because they know the right exercise for them. Importantly, what the patient eats is an important consideration. It might be tempting to go for processed foods, but they will not be helpful to the patient.
Have a schedule for activities. A routine helps a person with Alzheimer to go about his activities smoothly. A daily routine will outline all activities of the day, and there will be confidence and certainty on subsequent activities. The routine is not a schedule that the patient follows, but it provides security as the patient feels secure and in control.
Engage the patient in various activities. Involve the Alzheimer patient in various activities to keep his mind busy most of the time. Do not let the Alzheimer patient idle but you can organize some activities you can do together. Find out the activities that he likes and spare time to do them together such as reading, gaming, and cooking. Further, you can find online platforms on Alzheimer, and you can read more here to increase your knowledge of the disease and how to take care of patients.