Caring For Alzheimer Parents

By Anvi Mehta

Alzheimer's is a form of Dementia. It is considered a very serious brain defect that has no cure till date. Age and stress are considered to be the first symptoms of Alzheimer. The further symptoms are memory loss, mood swings, difficulty in speech and so on. It is a difficult time for the patients who have to go through this disease.

But more than the patients it is the family that needs to face a lot of mental and physical breakdowns. Alzheimer Disease is being detected in a lot of people these days. There are many parents suffering from this disease at a very old age. Here, it becomes a challenge for the children to look after the parents. They have to handle their own life and responsibilities along with their parents.

Every parent has been there for their kids in their times of need. It is the duty of a child to return the same to their parents when they are sick and in need. Sometimes, there might be reasons like family responsibilities, job problems and the severity of the Alzheimer, which makes you take aid of care centers or nurses to look after your parents. Even if you do so, you should always be available to them emotionally.

No tips would actually be sufficient to teach you how to care for Alzheimer parents, but they might help you to understand their situation as well:-

Love

Love

When you were a kid, there were times when all you needed was love. That was when your parents stepped in and gave you every bit of love and care they had. Always keep that in mind. Caring for Alzheimer parents should never be a forced responsibility, it should be done out of the love you have for them. Love is the only feeling that can comfort them and make them feel better even in terrible times.

Patience

Patience

If you are caring for your Alzheimer parents, one quality you would need is Patience. Patience is very important and you must have a lot of it. There would be times you might get frustrated on your parents. Their memory loss or their child like habits would annoy you. But never ever lose it on them. There will be times when your parents would not recognize you. You should always be patient and deal with your parents with all the love and care they had given you.

Strong Heart

Strong Heart

Caring for Alzheimer parents is not an easy job. You will have to face a lot of tough situations where your parents might get irritated, they would face mood swings, they would not remember any single detail of you and they might even get violent. You must make yourself strong enough to face all these situations with a strong heart and practical mind. It is tough to see your own parents in such a situation, but that is life. You have to learn live with it.

Stay in touch

Stay in touch

If due to any reasons you cannot be in touch with your parents all the time and you decide to keep them in a nursing home or a care center. Always make it a point to visit them regularly. You are the only source of memories. If you do not show up to them, soon their memories might also start fading.

Make them smile

Make them smile

Always talk to them as you always did. Even if you become a stranger to them make them smile. Bring them their favorite flowers and chocolates. Make them smile and let them live their last few years happy.

Story first published: Sunday, December 1, 2013, 13:26 [IST]
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