If you have a family member that is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, you understand how stressful and emotional providing Alzheimer’s support really is.
According to research, there are over 5.5 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and depending on the severity of their diagnosis, it takes anywhere between 1-4 family members to provide assistance.
If you are one of those family members providing care, or if you are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease yourself, know that there is help for you.
Alzheimer’s support involves anything from cooking and cleaning to full care such as dressing, bathing, administering medications, and setting up the house in a non-confusing manner.
But the problem is, if you are trying to work to keep a roof over your own head, how can you provide care for a family member too? Keep on reading to learn more about Alzheimer’s support and what you can do.
1. Do Not Do it All By Yourself
It is understandable that you want to help your parent who has dedicated their life to raising you, however, it is much different to provide care for an adult than it was for you growing up.
Doing all the care by yourself will eventually lead to burnout and will lead you to feel helpless in providing care for your aging parent. This will place tremendous guilt upon you and confusion for them.
Instead, create a supportive community by reaching out to family friends, other family members, the local Alzheimer’s support group, faith groups, or even better, an assisted living facility.
2. Meal Services
If you feel more comfortable providing hands-on care yourself, it is essential that you outsource and delegate the other services such as meals to other helpers.
Meal services will bring hot meals right to the doorstep of your house, which saves you a lot of time and money from grocery shopping, assembling, cooking, cleaning, and more.
3. Adult Day Care Services
If you have a lot on the go, and cannot provide care during the day-time, there are places like adult day care services that will help you. Typically, the services can pick up the person with Alzheimer’s and take them to the location for you.
4. Respite Services
If you are needing a break, or perhaps going on a vacation, there are respite services qualified for providing that break for you. This care can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks and can help you re-charge for awhile while feeling confident about your family’s care.
Typically, respite services are highly qualified caregivers who specialize in Alzheimer’s care. You may want to check your insurance plan first before hiring respite services, however, Medicare does cover some of the costs.
5. Alzheimer’s Support Counseling
Dealing with a cognitively declining parent is emotionally traumatic, and unfortunately, it is only going to decline more and more as time passes. It is imperative for your own mental health that you seek the support you need.
Some insurance companies will cover the costs for your counseling, do your research to get the right help that you need.
Learn More About Alzheimer’s Support and How it Can Help You
Providing the right Alzheimer’s support is essential for the safety of your declining parent, as well as for your own mental health.
To learn more, check out more articles like this in the health section of our blog.
