March 10, 2009

Late Alzheimer’s Stage: Your Options of Care (1)

Alzheimer’s is known as a very brutal and unforgiving brain disease. Damaging its capability to keep memories and communicate with the rest of the body, it is a degenerative condition; it grows steadily worse with time. Unluckily, there is no known cure, nor way of reversing the damage, once it is done. While early Alzheimer’s stage seem like little more than the occasional memory lapse, a person suffering from the final stages of Alzheimer’s is in need of 24 hour care and continuous watching. How can we handle an adult who is suffering from Alzheimer‘s disease? What sort of care services are available, to help a loved one who is in the final stages of this devastating disease? What can you do in order to help?

The most imperative thing you can do, to help a person with Alzheimer’s disease, is to be patient, helpful and sympathetic. A diagnosis of this level can be just as devastating as the condition itself, and patients are often frustrated, confused and scared. Promise your loved ones that, no matter what, you will be there for them and talk about different options with the patient, letting them have a say in the decision being made.

While a person is suffering the early Alzheimer’s stage, there are many options accessible for them, such as adult day services, retirement housing or in-home respite services. Nevertheless, as the disease progresses and the Alzheimer’s patient come to require more and more help and direction, these independent care facilities are no longer an option. By the time that a patient has entered into the end stage of Alzheimer’s, they will require 24-hour care and steady supervision. By this moment, the main question is whether you wish to care for your loved one at home, or if you believe that a nursing home can provide them with the best possible care.

This decision can be difficult, both on the patient and on their loved ones. At a time they are feeling lost, frightened and confused, the Alzheimer’s patient is already dealing with feelings of being abandoned and often suffering from unease, or lashing out with aggressive behavior. This can make a wise decision hard, sometimes, to choose. Although few find pleasure in the idea of having somebody they love placed into a home, in some cases, this may very well be what is for the best.

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