Tips for Taking Care of Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s. There is Help Out There For You!

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in America is increasing as our population becomes older. Based on the Alzheimer’s Association’s study “Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures 2007”, the estimated number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease is 5.1 million. This number is estimated to increase to 7.7 million by 2030 and to grow further to a range of 11 million to 16 million by 2050.

Short of medical technology discovering a cure or better way to treat the disease, we will see the prevalence of Alzheimer’s increase. This is to be expected as the average age of our nation increases.

We will also see an increase in families providing care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s. Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients receive care in their own homes from family members. Usually the spouse provides the care. This could be a long period of time. The average Alzheimer’s patient lives for 4 to 6 years after diagnosis. Often, as the disease progresses, family members have no choice but to put their loved one in a full time facility.

But while the patient is at home, caregivers should get as educated as possible about the best ways to give care. The National Institute on Aging provides tips for caregivers. Every caregiver of an Alzheimer’s patient should take a look at what they say. You can find tips here.

Here are some common sense tips they give:

§ Be Consistent: Get in a routine on when to bathe, dress, eat, exercise, etc.

§ Wandering: Keep doors locked to minimize wandering. Also, give your loved one a medical bracelet that identifies him should he wander off. A current photo is helpful for identification purposes if the authorities must be called to search for the person.

§ Home Safety: Remove rugs that might cause a fall. Take locks off bathrooms to prevent the patient from locking himself in the room. Keep dangerous objects (knives, gun, etc) in a safe place.

§ Driving: If your loved one is no longer able to drive, take the keys away, but handle the situation sensitively. Also, don’t let the person drive only on “good days” and not on “bad days.” As discussed above, consistency is important.

Caregivers should also look for outside support from other family members, friends, community support systems, or churches. This helps the caregiver avoid too much physical and psychological stress that could cause them to become ill.

Caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s is hard and stressful on a family. At difficult times like that, a long term care insurance policy is very helpful. The financial support it gives helps the family hire certified caregivers to come to their home and help provide care. It keeps the Alzheimer’s sufferer out of the nursing home longer.

If Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family, you may want to consider applying for a long term care policy. You’d be doing your family a big favor.

In one example I’ve seen, a son got to see the contrast between a family with long term care insurance and a family without. His mother needed care and had insurance. The son’s siblings were able to afford care for their mother, and this eased the stress they all experienced during that trying time. The son’s mother-in-law did not have long term care insurance. The man’s wife and all her siblings were at each other’s throats trying to find ways to care for their mother. The second family had much more stress to deal with than the first family, and relationships were strained.

If you are caring for a loved with Alzheimer’s, make sure you don’t let yourself get too stressed out. Take advantage of support networks in your area to ease your burden. It may be too late for your loved one to get insurance, but at least the tips and links listed above should help you create a better environment and help you provide better care.