When your senior parent develops Alzheimer’s, it could lead to a variety of challenges for your family. Failing to have a good care plan and management strategies in place could increase your risk of depression, sleep deprivation, denial, and fear. Below you’ll find tips that can help Alzheimer’s caregivers relieve stress and anxiety.
1. Learn More about the Disease
Many family caregivers don’t have thorough knowledge about Alzheimer’s. Some of the information they have could be based on misconceptions. Believing these myths can increase the risk of being unprepared when faced with challenging situations. To prevent this from happening and reduce caregiver stress, learn as much about the disease as possible. You could learn more from doctors and nurses, conduct research online, or read medical books.
One of the most important things to consider is whether and when to hire a professional caregiver for your loved one. Families looking for top-rated in-home care providers can reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care. From respite care to specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care, there are many ways we can make life easier for seniors and their loved ones.
2. Do Things that Bring You Joy
Getting out of the house and having lunch with your coworkers or going on a weekend getaway with your friends could alleviate stress and anxiety. The time away from caregiving allows you to focus on your own needs without constantly worrying about the disease and how it will affect your loved one. While you’re away, try to avoid any caregiving-related tasks. The objective is to focus on doing the things that bring you joy.
3. Stay Optimistic & Realistic
Setting unrealistic goals regarding your loved one’s health could increase anxiety, which is why you need to be hopeful but practical. For example, your loved one may have good days when he or she can remember everyone in the family and recall past events with ease. However, there may also be days when your parent has difficulty remembering something that happened only minutes before. Remember that Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, and it can be slowed down to a degree, but there’s no cure.
4. Exercise & Meditate
One of the best ways to alleviate stress is to meditate or take up exercises such as jogging, swimming, and cycling. These activities get the heart pumping and increase the production of endorphins, which combat stress hormones. Meditating after a stressful day could help you relax and reduce the risk of caregiver burnout.
5. Ask for Help
Caring for an aging parent with a neurological condition like Alzheimer’s can be stressful. Your loved one will rely on you for assistance, especially in the middle and late stages of the disease. It’s vital that you ask your siblings to step up and help out with your loved one’s care. If family members are unable to help, consider using home care services. It would be best to choose an agency with professionals who specialize in Alzheimer’s care.
Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors to manage without assistance, and it can be just as challenging for families who don’t have experience in providing Alzheimer’s care. Northern Kentucky Assisting Hands Home Care provides Alzheimer’s care seniors and their families can depend on. Our caregivers help seniors with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related conditions live happier and healthier lives.
6. Join a Support Group
Find a support group where you can speak with others who are going through similar situations. You can share stories and receive tips that ease your caregiver load. Talk about things you’re afraid of when it comes to Alzheimer’s rather than bottling up your emotions. In your support group, you can speak honestly and openly about your loved one’s condition without feeling embarrassed or guilty.
A trained Alzheimer’s caregiver can be a wonderful source of information and support for you and your family. When searching for reliable Northern Kentucky home care service agencies, families want to know their senior loved ones will be well taken care of. At Assisting Hands Home Care of Northern Kentucky, our expertly trained caregivers are available around the clock to assist with tasks around the house, provide transportation to medical appointments and social events, and much more. To learn more about our reliable, compassionate in-home care services, contact us today.
