Alzheimer's patients suffer from losing their ability to remember. You may talk to him, and in seconds, he does not recognize the conversation. He even may not remember who you are, so do you know how to deal with Alzheimer's patients?
If you are taking care of a person with Alzheimer's disease, you should know and learn how to deal with Alzheimer's patients. You may suddenly find a person in front of you who does not remember you and may be afraid of you. Understanding the correct way to deal with him helps him to participate with you in performing his daily tasks.
The severity of Alzheimer's disease and the stage it has reached will determine the way to deal with it, so we will first learn about the stages that an Alzheimer's patient goes through.
Alzheimer's disease stages
Alzheimer’s disease is divided into seven stages. Each stage carries more severe symptoms than the previous one, as follows:
| The first stage | This is the stage that precedes the onset of symptoms, but the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is based on the family history of the disease |
| The second stage | The appearance of some early symptoms, such as slight memory loss and forgetfulness |
| The third stage | Minor mental deterioration, such as lack of concentration and poor memory, is most noticed by people close to the patient |
| The fourth stage | Symptoms of the disease are still mild and are represented by slight memory loss and lack of concentration, affecting the patient’s ability to perform his daily tasks efficiently |
| The fifth stage | Symptoms of the disease begin to penetrate the patient's life, such as severe forgetfulness and difficulty swallowing, and here it is necessary to provide an assistant for the patient |
| The sixth stage | One of the late stages of the patient, where the patient loses control of himself and needs help in eating, dressing, and others |
| The seventh stage | It is the most dangerous stage of the disease, as the patient loses the ability to express words and forget people, and here he depends entirely on external help. |
Read more about: Alzheimer's disease causes and symptoms.
You have to know the condition that the Alzheimer’s patient has reached. The seven stages of Alzheimer’s that we mentioned above can be divided again according to the severity of the disease into an early stage of the disease and a late stage of Alzheimer’s disease, and each has its own correct rules for how to deal with Alzheimer’s patients.
How to deal with Alzheimer's patients in the early stages
Alzheimer's disease in the early stages
The behavior of an Alzheimer's patient in its early stages may be essentially normal, as he can drive his car, work, and participate in various life activities. Only a slight difference may occur to him, which may not affect him much.
What disturbs the Alzheimer’s patient most in the early stages is his fear of the progression of the disease, and he needs the support of those close to him, such as his family and friends. Providing him with psychological backing, supporting him, and understanding his fears is the first thing that should be provided to the patient.
There are some things that Alzheimer's patient needs help with:
- Help him remember names or other words
- Memorize appointments
- Take him to his familiar places and visit people close to him
- Help him manage his money
- Remind him to take medication
- Organize his life
- Follow his movement - he may forget where he is going
How to take care of Alzheimer's patient in the early stages?
Here are the most important tips to help an Alzheimer's patient in the early stages:
- Encouraging him to exercise, as it improves his psyche a lot
- Follow a healthy diet and balanced meals rich in vegetables and low in fat
- Sharing others in some activities
- Keeping him away from sad situations that exhaust him mentally, as he may not remember some things and feel frustrated
- Do activities that help relax and regulate sleep
How to deal with Alzheimer's patients in the late stages
Alzheimer's disease in the late stages
Alzheimer's patient in the late stages suffers from:
- Difficulty eating and swallowing food
- He has difficulty walking and needs help, and he may end up not being able to walk
- He cannot take care of himself and always needs a companion
- susceptible to infection, especially pneumonia
How to take care of Alzheimer's patient in the late stages?
If you are taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient in the late stages, then you should be well aware that this person cannot take care of himself completely and will depend on you to perform his daily life tasks, such as feeding and cleaning him. Think that you have a child who knows nothing about life, but the patient’s conscience in these late stages may crave certain feelings and things and is attracted by certain smells.
Among the things that calm the behavior of the Alzheimer’s patient and may reduce the suffering of the Alzheimer’s patient’s companions:
- Watching his old photos with him, and reading some books that meant something to him
- If he has a favorite music, try playing it for him
- Sit with him in beautiful places outside, especially his favourites
- Massage his skin with his favorite scents
Taking care of Alzheimer's patients in the late stages
The pursuit of Alzheimer's disease treatment may not be enough to maintain the physical and mental health of an Alzheimer's patient. Alzheimer's patient requires extra special care to prevent from disease, so when you deal with Alzheimer's patients in their late stages, you should pay attention to the following:
The food
An Alzheimer’s patient in the late stages may forget that he is hungry or lose his appetite. Lack of activity and movement makes the person less in need of food. The Alzheimer’s patient’s companion must consider all this and set a specific meal schedule. With the help of the patient’s doctor, learn about his diet. And make special meals for him.
A patient with Alzheimer's in its late stages may find it difficult to swallow food, so care must be taken to choose soft and easy meals for him, such as soup, easy-to-swallow gelatinous foods, juices, and others. The patient may also forget to swallow or chew food. While feeding him, always try to monitor him and remind him of this. When feeding an Alzheimer's patient, sit him upright to help him digest the food.
An Alzheimer's patient may forget that he needs to drink water, be unable to express his need for water, or even realize that he is thirsty. Keep this in mind and offer him fluids and water at frequent and organized times throughout the day so that he does not become dehydrated.
Personal hygiene care for Alzheimer's patient
The late-stage Alzheimer's patient has difficulty using the toilet. Urinary incontinence is very common at this stage. You must accompany the patient to use the bathroom and guide him. Also, you should set a schedule for the times of using the bathroom per day because he may not be able to express that.
Infection and pneumonia
The inability to move in the late stages of Alzheimer’s makes the person more vulnerable to infection. You must know how to deal with Alzheimer’s patients in the correct way to reduce infections, as follows:
- Maintain oral and dental hygiene to reduce the risk of bacteria that cause pneumonia
- Treat wounds immediately
- Alzheimer's patients should get flu vaccinations because infection with it may develop into pneumonia
- Understand his pain and illness
A patient with Alzheimer’s in its late stages may be unable to express his feelings of illness. You may find some signs that help you know if he is in pain from something or not, such as swelling of a part of the body or a change in skin color and paleness of the skin, all this in addition to anxiety, screaming, lack of sleep, or too much.
If you are willing to be a companion to an Alzheimer's patient, you must understand him well, his illness, and the stage he has reached. Before knowing how to deal with Alzheimer's patients, you must prepare psychologically for this responsibility.
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