Practical Information for Relatives of Alzheimer's Patients

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that deeply affects not only the patient but also his/her immediate family. This disease can become exhausting and stressful for the patient’s relatives when there are situations such as the changing needs and emotional fluctuations of the patient and the difficulties encountered in daily life. However, with the right information and methods, this process can become easier and more manageable. At this point, we have created the content titled “Practical Information for Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients” to guide you. By browsing the content, you can have information about how you should approach your relatives with Alzheimer’s disease. We wish you all healthy days and good reading. Alzheimer Hasta Yakınları için Pratik Bilgiler

How Do Alzheimer’s Patients Behave?

The behavior of Alzheimer’s patients may vary depending on the level of disease progression. However, it is generally characterized by symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and reduced ability to perform daily activities. In addition, in the early stages, patients may exhibit behaviors such as forgetfulness, misplacing things and frequently asking the same questions, but as the disease progresses, more pronounced behavioral changes occur. For example, speech difficulties, poor personal hygiene, social isolation and emotional fluctuations are common. In the middle and advanced stages, psychological symptoms such as aggressive behavior, restlessness, paranoia and even hallucinations may develop. At this point, patients may find it difficult to recognize people they have known in the past or confuse what time of day it is and may tend to leave the house, which can lead to unsafe situations. Therefore, it is very important for relatives of Alzheimer’s patients to adopt a patient, understanding and supportive approach, as these behaviors of Alzheimer’s patients can create difficulties for both themselves and their caregivers.

What Role Do Relatives of People with Alzheimer’s Disease Play?

Being a relative of an Alzheimer’s patient is a difficult and exhausting process. For this reason, you may have to constantly remind the patient of who you are and sometimes even who the patient is. Remember that the main problem here is the disease. Therefore, it is important not to have negative feelings towards the patient and not to behave badly. Otherwise, you may cause the patient to get worse. In this context, if we list the roles of relatives of people with Alzheimer’s disease;
  • First of all, you should know that Alzheimer’s disease changes your relative’s behavior.
  • You have to see the fact that your patient is not at fault.  
  • You must remain calm and control your nerves in every situation and event.
  • You need to accept the fact that when your patient treats you badly, blames you or behaves unpleasantly, it is not about you.
  • Do not accuse the patient. Be careful to avoid behaviors that may upset the patient and cause him/her to have an attack.
  • Remember that you are going through the whole process because of the disease.
  • What you experienced and what the patient said are completely independent of each other. Therefore, try not to take it personally.
  • If there is a problem, make sure the patient understands. Take your time and calmly explain the situation.
  • If you understand the problem and persuade them to cooperate, you can easily overcome it.
  • Do not punish them for their behavior.
  • Tell things in a joking way, bring out your humorous side.
  • Find the cause of behavioral problems. Feelings of hunger, loneliness, protection drive Alzheimer’s patients to different behaviors. 
  • Try to simplify the environment and remove excess items and stimuli.
  • Minimize external stimuli as much as possible.
  • Make her feel that you are always there for her and that you understand her.
  • Ensure her safety without making her feel it.
  • Take steps to build trust in you. Make it clear at every opportunity that he/she can trust you.
  • When problems arise, manipulate and change the subject.
  • Try redesigning the environment. If mirrors are disturbing, you can turn them off. Turn off the TV or video if it triggers some events. Try removing pictures for a while.
  • Choose a variety of activities for him/her to engage in and have him/her do them. 
  • Choose appropriate methods to relax your patient. You can massage, use relaxing oils. You can use relaxation movements etc. to make her feel better.

What Should Relatives Do When Alzheimer’s Patients Hallucinate?

Hallucinations, the most common condition in Alzheimer’s patients, are seen in many Alzheimer’s patients. For this reason, when Alzheimer’s patients hallucinate, their relatives should take a calm and understanding approach. Otherwise, the patient will be more likely to hallucinate. In this context, the patient’s relatives should do the following;
  • When the patient asks you about hallucinations, do not lie, be truthful. However, do not hurt the patient by stating that you do not see or hear.
  • You can build trust and say I will check the house for you.   
  • Do not be stubborn, do not argue. Try to make physical contact to show that you understand him/her.
  • You can manipulate it to divert its attention. 
  • Direct them to various activities.
  • If he/she is experiencing fear and anxiety, let him/her know that you are always there for him/her. It is important to physically hold her hand, hug her and make her feel safe. If your patient does not like physical contact, do not force it but respect it.
  • Ask if delusions are a side effect of the medication your patient is taking. If the medication is causing her to hallucinate, you can ask for the medication to be changed.

How to Deal with Alzheimer’s Patients’ Delusions of Having Their Things Stolen?

Some behaviors and reactions can be seen in many patients with Alzheimer’s disease. It is especially common for Alzheimer’s patients to have delusions that their belongings have been stolen. Knowing how to deal with this can prevent your relationship with your patient from being damaged. If you follow the steps below, you can prevent the patient from having attacks and engaging in challenging behaviors.
  • Make sure that the patient’s belongings have not actually been stolen. Keep in mind that other people may use such patients and may also steal their belongings. 
  • Find out where the items she thinks have been stolen are. Involve him/her in your searches most of the time. Make him/her trust you. 
  • Do not argue that things were not stolen. Do not allow him/her to feel feelings of fear and anger.
  • Make it clear that you care about their concerns and voice them.  
  • Reduce storage space to prevent the patient from hiding things somewhere. Instead, lock or close existing storage areas.  
  • Keep the patient’s cupboards and drawers as organized as possible. This will reduce the risk of things getting lost.
  • If you look for things together, you will help him remember where he put them before.
  • Take care to back up important documents, wallets or objects to avoid the risk of losing them.
  • They won’t put things in the right places like healthy people do, so look in places that seem absurd to you. Look in the garbage, the oven, the basket, even the inside of shoes.
  • Tell him/her that you are also sorry for his/her lost item and that you will help him/her find it.
  • The instinct to hide is intense in this type of illness. You can let him keep harmless objects that he won’t get upset if they are lost. 
  • For patients who have a habit of storing food, make sure that the places where the food is stored are clean. Create places for the patient to use for storage.
  • Since the feeling that his belongings have been stolen will make the patient uneasy, make the right suggestions and reassure him.

How to Cope with the Delusion of Not Having a Home in Alzheimer’s Patients?

The patient’s inability to distinguish between the home he remembers from the past and the home he sees leads to him not being able to make sense of his current location. This causes him to feel uneasy because the home he is in is not his home. At this point, if you have information about how to deal with the delusion of not having a home in Alzheimer’s patients, you can manage the process better.
  • Consider some objects that will remind him of his memories and home. Also, make sure that there are personal belongings and memories in his room.
  • Even if you don’t know him, make suggestions like this is your home, you live here.
  • Make sentences that will make him feel like he belongs, like your carpet or your chair.
  • To prevent your child from thinking that the place they are in is not their home and leaving the house, do not keep items such as shoes and coats lying around. This will prevent them from wanting to leave the house.
  • Creating a place with few but meaningful items will help them feel comfortable there.
  • Do not neglect to provide sufficient ambient lighting.
  • Have necklaces or bracelets made with their contact information and phone number. Make sure she never takes this off.
  • When she shows aggressive behavior to go home, do not argue, punish her, use force and do not show that you are afraid.
  • When she wants to go home but is prevented, she may make different statements about her relationship with you. If she says things like you are not my daughter, I do not know you, do not argue and stay calm. Tell the truth and do not be stubborn.
  • Show that you love and value him/her with words and physical contact.
  • Make sentences and suggestions that reassure not only him/her but also yourself.
  • Do not make fun of him/her, do not try to tell the truth by teasing.
  • Install safety locks on windows, doors and balconies. Use systems that will prevent him/her from opening them with the lock.
  • Make sure the door is locked. Otherwise, he/she may leave the house by opening the lock.
  • Speak in a caring and reassuring tone.
  • Take care to empathize.

Tips to Make Daily Life of Alzheimer’s Patients Easier

You can establish healthier communication that will make the daily life of Alzheimer’s patients easier. At the same time, you can ensure that the person goes through a healthier process. In this context, the tips that make daily life of Alzheimer’s patients easier are as follows;
  • Communication Strategies
You may have reservations about how to communicate with an Alzheimer’s patient. For this reason, first try to approach calmly and compassionately. Also, make sure that your tone of voice gives them confidence. Chat together and say that you enjoy it. Talk about what you experienced in the past years, memories and events, and when they don’t remember the good days you enjoyed and had together, tell them about it through a photo album. While doing this, if the patient does not remember their children, you and their relatives, have them examine these photos regularly without pressuring them. Because after a while, they will remember old memories. Never use imperatives when communicating. ThisTry to express yourself with short sentences instead of n. In addition, ask him to choose and offer two different options. Do not talk about his illness in a way that he will hear in front of others. Also, hold his hands, caress him, hug him and touch his shoulder when he does not feel safe. In this way, you will have achieved a healthy communication process.
  • Activities for Alzheimer’s Patients
As the souls of Alzheimer’s patients relax, the course of the disease will progress easily. Therefore, activities are very important for Alzheimer’s patients. For this reason, you can make him interested in music. At the same time, you can encourage him to dance. In addition, you can support him to draw orYou can play games for Alzheimer’s patients This way you can make them feel more comfortable and peaceful. In addition to all these, after making sure that you have ensured their safety, take them on short walks. You can spend time in parks and green areas, provide them with peace and take care of pets. In this way, pets greatly relax Alzheimer’s patients and are good for them.
  • Professional Support and Care Options
Alzheimer’s patients tend to forget completely over time. For this reason, they may often become unable to perform their daily needs. In the advanced stages, a relative of the patient can take care of the patient in moderate Alzheimer’s disease. However, there will be periods when it progresses and loss of consciousness occurs and functions cannot be performed. They may become unable to perform routine tasks such as walking, speaking and eating and may leak urine. In this case, they should be admitted to a nursing home and their treatment should be continued. In this way, the patient will be safe with professional support and care options. As Alzheimer’s progresses, a mentally exhausting process awaits you. If you cannot manage this process correctly, the safety of the patient and you may be at risk. Consult with professional nursing homes that will provide the best care for them and continue their treatment in a nursing home. At this point, to review the comments of the relatives of the guests who come to MEVA Nursing Home, Trace Leavers You can visit the page.
  • Dressing Suggestions
The patient’s closet should be reduced as much as possible. Otherwise, a crisis may occur regarding clothing as time goes by. Instead, the patient should wear comfortable clothes that he/she can wear. Avoid making him/her wear clothes that he/she will have difficulty wearing and will not move comfortably. If he/she can wear his/her own clothes, do not intervene. Just be supportive and gentle. If you also want to get professional support for Alzheimer’s disease, you can contact Meva Nursing Home, which provides professional services for Alzheimer’s disease, and get a flawless You can experience Alzheimer’s care.

Frequently Asked Questions by Relatives of Alzheimer's Patients

It is very important to stay calm during a crisis. Use a soft tone of voice to calm the patient and try to divert their attention to something else. If crisis situations become more frequent, you can consult a doctor to learn more effective management methods.

It is important to speak in a reassuring and calm tone of voice and try to reassure. Let him/her know that you agree with him/her while telling the truth without hurting him/her. At the same time, make him/her feel that you are with him/her physically and mentally. For this, touching his/her shoulder with your hand, hugging him/her or holding and caressing his/her hand will be a good communication language.

 

For the safety of the Alzheimer’s patient, elements that may pose a danger in the home should be eliminated. Items that increase the risk of falling such as slippery floors, sharp corners and small carpets should be organized. Electrical sockets should be covered, cutting tools and dangerous items should be stored in locked cabinets. In addition, it is important that things in the home are organized and simple so that the patient can move easily between rooms.

Research has found that a Mediterranean-type diet is suitable for Alzheimer’s patients. If you are worried about how Alzheimer’s patients should eat, prepare a menu based on fish, vegetables and fruits. In addition, make sure that they stay away from fatty and salty foods as much as possible and do not feed them ready-to-eat foods. You can also slow down the progression of the disease by paying attention to the use of olive oil as well as olive oil foods.

For example, activities such as drawing, dancing, singing can increase mental activity. In addition, by encouraging her to engage in handicrafts and knitting, you can support her cognitive functions while keeping her mind active.
Avoid tea and coffee some time before bedtime. Instead, use relaxing herbal teas as an alternative. For example; You can make him consume fennel tea, lemon balm tea and chamomile tea. At the same time, make sure that he always goes to bed at the same time, but do not force him to do so.

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