When someone in your family has Alzheimer’s, it can be extremely hard to find the right resources you need. The person with the disease needs help but so does the person caring for the person living with dementia.
Help can come in many forms:
- Learning about the disease
- Adapting the home environment
- Finding community resources
- Sharing experiences
There is so much to learn about the disease and what to expect. For instance, it is important to understand what mental and physical changes are experienced with Alzheimer’s so that you can better manage daily life and plan for the future. It can clarify what kind of physical activities or social events are appropriate at different stages and whether these can be managed independently or not. Even familiar activities and family gatherings might need to be approached differently.
The home environment must be considered both to prevent falls and to facilitate easier management of daily activities. Simple changes to furniture arrangement, rugs, lighting and stairs can be helpful in reducing risk and keep people safe. Sometimes labelling rooms and cupboards can also make it easier for a person with Alzheimer’s to manage.
There are helpful strategies of how to lead someone who is confused, how to use gentle persuasion because the person you want to look after might become stubborn or angry. This can be a challenge when there are health appointments to attend or even going out to fun events. These are all important issues and there are many more.
Where to seek help
I’ve heard from a number of people caring for someone with Alzheimer’s that they cannot find the community or health care support they need. They feel alone and discouraged. So I was heartened recently when I came across a program called First Link. This is a program of the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
“Connecting with First Link means you can:
- Receive one-on-one or group support
- Be referred to local healthcare providers and community services
- Meet other people in similar circumstances and exchange experiences
- Get help to plan your future.”
I would love to hear from people about their experience using the First Link program or if you have found other ways to successfully get the help you need. In my region the Alzheimer Society of Leeds Lanark Grenville provides First Link and a great many other programs.
I have worked with many individuals and families struggling to support someone and it is clear to me that while they need our compassion, more than that, they want to feel understood.
People often come to me, not so much for help knowing how to care for their family member, but because their own mental health is deteriorating. Living for a long time with the constant worry of caring for a person with dementia is bound to cause stress, mental and physical. Some people will develop anxiety. Others will suffer with depression and hopelessness. Insomnia is common. Individual counselling is valuable but it can be very important for the caregivers to talk with people in similar situations. Listening to others can be a revelation. In such a group they often feel truly understood. They learn from each other. This listening and learning can bring some surprising comfort to one of life’s hardest situations.
When someone you love has Alzheimer’s it can be devastating. I urge anyone in this situation to seek out the resources they need both for their loved one and for themselves.
Even Keel Health 