Alzheimer's disease is increasingly becoming more common in the world today, especially the United States. Dr. Anita Sharma meets with Cindy Barnes, corporate support representative at 90.3 KEDM Public Radio, to discuss the role of caregivers to those diagnosed with this heartbreaking disease.
Important issues when providing care to someone with Alzheimer's:
The hardest decisions are knowing when to take away their freedoms like car keys, knowing when that 24 hour care is needed that cannot be provided by family members, or even being able to figure out if a nursing home wouldf be sufficient enough for them. The main struggle for Cindy, personally, is having to put those specific limitations on a parent specifically.
Is there any guidance to those that are having to make these hard decisions?
You will pretty much be able to hear from outside sources that are kind enough to let you know about certain scenarios, unusual habits, and unlikely behavior that make symptoms of the disease become highly evident.
What advice can you give to those having to care for both themselves and their loved ones?
You MUST take care of yourself especially or else you will be at risk of burnout. It is very difficult when trying to get the entire family on the same page that a loved one maybe an Alzheimer's patient as well. Do not take on the job of caregiving alone! Try to spread the workload amongst multiple family members and friends that are willing to help support the patient so that it is easier for everyone involved.
