Alzheimer’s Disease: Caregiver Tips
Your mom or dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While your first feeling may be worry, you can get support to help you guide your parent’s care and manage costs. That way you can make the most of your time together.
Several local, national, and online resources can help you find care for your parent, along with discounts, delivered meals, and legal or financial tips. Here are some leads on how to get started.
Alzheimer’s Aggression: What You Can Do
Sometimes, people with Alzheimer’s disease lash out for no clear reason. They may get upset or angry easily. They may curse, hurl insults, or scream. They might even throw things or resist caregivers by pushing and hitting. This kind of aggression usually starts when people get to the later stages of the disease. No one knows for sure why it happens. Aggression may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease itself. It could also be a reaction when a person feels confused or frustrated.If your loved...
Read the Alzheimer’s Aggression: What You Can Do article > >
Your first step is to draw up a plan for your parent’s future care, says Ruth Drew, director of Family and Information Services for the Alzheimer’s Association. Talk to a social worker trained in Alzheimer’s care or to a support group to help you make a checklist, she says. You can contact a social worker at your local hospital, community center, nursing home, or assisted living center.
“You need to address now your plan for down the road,” Drew says. Your plan may change as your parent’s health or needs change, she says. Most importantly, “involve the person with the disease in these conversations. Understand their wants and choices, and incorporate these into your plan.”
Your plan might include:
Different types of care can vary greatly in cost. Your choices may be limited by your financial resources, and insurance might not cover some choices. You'll simply do the best you can to honor your parent's wishes. Some things might not be possible because of financial constraints. See more tips on how to cover costs below.
Tap into a local support group of other caregivers of parents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, says Shelly Eisenstadt, a licensed clinical social worker at the William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta. Your parent’s doctor or social worker, a local senior center, or the Alzheimer’s Association can refer you to groups in your community.
Several local, national, and online resources can help you find care for your parent, along with discounts, delivered meals, and legal or financial tips. Here are some leads on how to get started.
Recommended Related to Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s Aggression: What You Can Do
Sometimes, people with Alzheimer’s disease lash out for no clear reason. They may get upset or angry easily. They may curse, hurl insults, or scream. They might even throw things or resist caregivers by pushing and hitting. This kind of aggression usually starts when people get to the later stages of the disease. No one knows for sure why it happens. Aggression may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease itself. It could also be a reaction when a person feels confused or frustrated.If your loved...
Read the Alzheimer’s Aggression: What You Can Do article > >
Create a Plan
Your first step is to draw up a plan for your parent’s future care, says Ruth Drew, director of Family and Information Services for the Alzheimer’s Association. Talk to a social worker trained in Alzheimer’s care or to a support group to help you make a checklist, she says. You can contact a social worker at your local hospital, community center, nursing home, or assisted living center.
“You need to address now your plan for down the road,” Drew says. Your plan may change as your parent’s health or needs change, she says. Most importantly, “involve the person with the disease in these conversations. Understand their wants and choices, and incorporate these into your plan.”
Your plan might include:
- Day care, long-term care, or home health care
- Assisted living or memory care housing
- A financial plan to cover costs
- Power of attorney and living will documents
- End-of-life care decisions
- Which family members will help with care
Different types of care can vary greatly in cost. Your choices may be limited by your financial resources, and insurance might not cover some choices. You'll simply do the best you can to honor your parent's wishes. Some things might not be possible because of financial constraints. See more tips on how to cover costs below.
Seek Support
Tap into a local support group of other caregivers of parents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, says Shelly Eisenstadt, a licensed clinical social worker at the William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta. Your parent’s doctor or social worker, a local senior center, or the Alzheimer’s Association can refer you to groups in your community.