Managing Alzheimer's Behaviors: Tips for Caregivers
Good relationships require good communication, and a caregiving relationship with a person with Alzheimer’s is no different.
Here are the common behavioral symptoms of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Aggression
Wandering
Agitation
Dealing with Alzheimer’s is a difficult task if you are experiencing it by yourself, and there are high chances that caregivers or residential care professionals can encounter struggles in handling individuals and older adults with Alzheimer’s.
How to manage Alzheimer behaviors:
1. Simplify communication – Caregivers should speak slowly and use short statements when they talk to patients.
2. Create a routine – It is important to keep a schedule for a sense of familiarity as their condition makes them often forget. This is beneficial to their overall health. (Examples of this are: Musical Indicators, this is to demonstrate what is happening and let the individuals with Alzheimer’s know what to expect even if they don’t recognize.)
3. Decrease Anger & Aggression – Caregivers can create a calming environment and lessen external stressors that consistently carrying a calming demeanor to make them feel safe.
4. Exercise – This is one of the best stress-relievers for both Alzheimer’s patient and caregiver. (Regular walking, dancing, or seated exercises can have a positive effect on many problem behaviors that have associated with the illness.)
5. Keep them interacting – Keeping your patient socially active can help lessen the forgetfulness, and if they have long-term friends, help them remember their past once in a while.
(Also, providing a pet could help increase their sociability through nonverbal communication. Pets are also great emotional support.)
6. Look after yourself – Most importantly, this journey is not just for them, it is for the caregivers as well. It may be a 24-hour job, but you must carve out time for yourself to make sure you don’t easily get physically, mentally, or emotionally burnout as well.
Research has also shown that managing these behavioral symptoms can make individuals with Alzheimer’s more relaxed and makes things easier for caregivers.
