Giving care to the person who has fallen victim to Alzheimer’s disease is a labor of love. As a caregiver, coping with the challenges that arise when a loved one has the disease can be overwhelming. Alzheimer’s disease affects not only the person with the disease but the person’s family members as well.
About 2.7 million spouses, relatives and friends care for people with Alzheimer’s. According to national statistics provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, some 19 million Americans report a family member with the disease, and 37 million Americans say they know someone with the disease.
According to Elizabeth Allen, executive director of Ashton Gables in Birmingham, a facility dedicated solely to the care of Alzheimer’s patients, “Burnout among caregivers of Alzheimer’s sufferers is normal. It’s not at all unusual for the caregiver to experience burnout. They are so busy providing care for their loved one with Alzheimer’s — and often other family members as well — that it’s very common for them to overlook their own needs and put themselves on the back burner. That’s why offering a facility that specializes exclusively in the care of Alzheimer’s patients has been so well received,” she said.
Allen, who has a vast amount of knowledge and experience working with the Alzheimer’s patient and caregiver, says that the tremendous burden of caring for a person who suffers from Alzheimer’s can lead to depression, loneliness and frustration.
Allen says that caregivers often don’t exercise, pay attention to their own nutritional needs or get enough sleep. “It’s not unusual for them to burn out to where they are no longer able to meet the demands of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. Then you can add guilt to the equation,” she said. “The best advice for caregivers is not to neglect their own needs,” she added.
“Ask for help and support. If friends or extended family members ask if you need any help — take it,” she advised. “Develop a list of tasks that need to be done, from buying groceries to washing clothes to preparing meals. Ask family and friends to volunteer for the tasks on a regular basis,” she suggested.
For the caregiver who is still caring for the family member at home, behavioral changes may develop. According to Allen, most people don’t anticipate the numerous behavior changes triggered by the disease. Loss of memory, reasoning, words and a sense of time and place can cause a person with Alzheimer’s to be unintentionally difficult, irrational, stubborn or angry. When needs cannot be explained the person may become frustrated or angry or feel out of control. Changes in behavior may be caused by physical discomfort, over-stimulation, unfamiliar or confusing surroundings, complicated tasks, frustrating interactions or communication problems.
Alzheimer’s disease experts say the most common triggers for combative behavior from Alzheimer’s sufferers are fear, misunderstanding or perceiving a threat that isn’t there, an inability to communicate needs or problems, depression, worry and frustration.
People with Alzheimer’s may exhibit aggressive behavior in their search to find security in a world that no longer makes sense.
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