Alzheimer’s disease can be very scary for not only the Alzheimer’s patient, but also for their family.
It can be very heartbreaking when a loved one or family member is diagnosed with it. In the initial stages of Alzheimer’s, your senior loved one will be able to function as they usually would for a period of time, however, their condition will deteriorate as time goes by. Because this is a progressive disease, they will become unable to function independently.
When a senior is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, sometimes it may be unclear as to how long they have before they become completely dependent on others. If your aging loved one is used to living independently, it may be hard for them to seek help with daily tasks. However, things like house chores, errands and even personal hygiene may start being neglected.
If you are the primary caregiver or guardian of your parent/grandparent or loved one, it’s important that you keep an eye on their daily living. This will enable you to take note of what things are being forgotten and how fast the disease is progressing. You will also be able to decide how you can assist them in their daily lives, whether that’s helping with chores and errands, getting them into a long-term facility for care or hiring an in-home caregiver. Let’s take a look at a few signs & symptoms of Alzheimer’s, these signs will help you in your decision making:
Let’s take a look at a few signs & symptoms of Alzheimer’s, these signs will help you in your decision making:
Daily House Chores Are Being Neglected:
When daily house chores are neglected, it is a sure sign of Alzheimer’s. It will become more obvious to you and others if your senior was a very organized and neat individual. Neglect of house chores is a sign of the disease as it progresses. Alzheimer’s patients usually do not realize that their living conditions have deteriorated.
Their Personal Hygiene Is Not What It Used to Be:
When we think back on the neglect of daily chores by someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is important to note that they will also start to neglect their personal hygiene as well. They may forget to take a shower, brush their teeth, change their clothes etc. They may even wear mismatched clothing items. This is all due to the fact that they become forgetful, and are unable to pay full attention to themselves.
Unpredictable Behavior Start to Develop with Alzheimer’s Disease Patients:
Among very common sign to watch out for with Alzheimer’s disease patients is that of erratic behavior. They may become easily agitated and, in some cases, can become physically abusive to others. Keep an eye out for any form of behavior that is the opposite of they normally would behave or act on a daily basis.
It is also important to look for cuts or bruises on their body, as they may have an injury from a fall or minor accident. Often times they will forget about the incident, so it’s up to you to keep a watchful eye on them.
Another thing to keep in mind is that driving while diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is a very bad idea. It can be dangerous for not only the patient, but for anyone else on the road while Alzheimer’s patient is driving. As their primary caregiver you need to do all you can to either have their drivers license revoked, their car removed or keys taken away. This will ensure the safety of not only themselves, but others as well.
Misplaced Money or Bad Spending Habits
It is not uncommon for seniors to spend hundreds or even thousands on products & services they don’t need. Sometimes it can be due to the fact that they don’t have a care in the world as the disease progresses. However, after spending so much money or even a little, they may forget that they made the purchase. This causes them to become frantic thinking that they lost their money or that they were scammed.
When it comes to their finances, you as the primary caregiver or guardian, must stay on top of their bills, credit cards and bank statements. This will help you keep tabs on what is being spend and where. You can then make inquires if something seems out of the ordinary.
It’s also important to keep an eye out for scammers that target seniors. There are people and companies that specifically seek out older adults to scam them out of their money or identity. Be sure to keep a watchful eye for these types of people and companies.
In this blog post we went over a few signs to look out for if your parent/grandparent or aging loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Initially, there may be a period of adjustment that may be difficult for everyone involved, however, once your loved one gets used to the help and care, they will start to rely on you more naturally.
In this blog post we went over a few signs to look out for if your parent/grandparent or aging loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Initially, there may be a period of adjustment that may be difficult for everyone involved, however, once your loved one gets used to the help and care, they will start to rely on you more naturally.
If you are not able to care for your loved one day in and day out, there are many companies out there that offer caregiver services in the home. You can hire a full-time caregiver or a part-time caregiver to help you senior loved one in the home when you’re not around. This makes it easier for you and your family, because you will have help. It is not an easy task caring for an Alzheimer’s patient, so having help is beneficial to both you and your senior loved one. Having someone there to share the burden of caring for your loved will help eliminate some of the stress, physical and mental exhaustion that comes from caring for an Alzheimer’s patient.