The Alzheimer's patient needs to take the drugs for dementia every day and stimulate the brain in a variety of ways. It is therefore recommended that it be accompanied by a caregiver or family member, because being accompanied is easier to maintain the necessary care and decrease the progression of memory loss.
In addition, the caregiver should help the elderly in day-to-day tasks such as eating, bathing or dressing, for example, because these activities may be overlooked because of the characteristics of the disease.
1. Remedies for Alzheimer's
The Alzheimer's patient needs to take daily dementia drugs, such as Denepezilo or Memantina, that help slow the disease's progress and control behaviors such as agitation and aggression. However, it may be difficult for the patient to take the medication alone as he or she can forget and so the caregiver should always be careful to ensure that the medicine is ingested at the times indicated by the doctor.
However, it is also common for the person with Alzheimer's not to take the tablets. A good tip is to knead and mix the remedies with yogurt or soup, for example.
Read more about the main remedies used in the treatment of Alzheimer's.
2. Brain Training
The training of brain functions should be done daily to stimulate memory, language, orientation and attention of the patient, and individual or group activities can be done with a nurse or occupational therapist.
The purpose of activities, such as completing a puzzle, viewing old photographs or reading the newspaper for example, is to stimulate the brain to function properly for the maximum amount of time, helping to remember moments, keep talking, do small tasks and to recognize other people and yourself.
In addition, it is critical to promote patient orientation by having an updated home wall calendar, for example, or by informing you several times a day about your name, date, or season.
See also a list of some exercises that help stimulate the brain.
3. Physical activity
Alzheimer's disease leads to decreased mobility of the person, increasing the difficulty to walk and maintain balance, which makes it impossible to perform autonomously day-to-day activities such as walking or lying down, for example.
In this way, physical activity has several advantages for the patient with Alzheimer, such as:
- Avoid pain in muscles and joints;
- Prevent falls and fractures;
- Increase the peristaltic movements of the intestine, facilitating the elimination of feces;
- Delay the patient to stay in bed.
You should do physical activity every day, such as walking or doing water aerobics for at least 30 minutes every day. In addition, depending on the severity of the disease, it may be necessary to have physiotherapy sessions to maintain quality of life. Understand what is done in Alzheimer's physiotherapy sessions.
4. Social contact
The Alzheimer's patient should keep in touch with friends and family to avoid isolation and loneliness, which leads to increased loss of cognitive abilities. Thus, it is important to go to the bakery, walk in the garden or be present at the birthdays of relatives, to talk and interact.
However, it is important to be in calm places, since the noise, can increase the level of confusion, leaving the person more agitated or aggressive.
5. Adapting the house
The Alzheimer's patient is at increased risk of falling due to drug use and loss of balance, so your home should be large and you should not have any objects in your way.
In addition, the patient should wear closed shoes and comfortable clothing to avoid falling. See all the important tips on how to fit the house to prevent falls.
6. How to talk to the patient
The Alzheimer's patient may not find the words to express or even misunderstand what they are told, not following orders, and so it is important to be calm while communicating with him. To do this, you must:
- Be close and look into the patient's eyes, so that the patient perceives that they are talking to him;
- Hold the patient's hand to show affection and understanding;
- Speak calmly and say short sentences;
- Make gestures to explain what you are saying, exemplifying if necessary;
- Use synonyms to say the same thing to the patient to understand;
- Listen to what the patient wants to say, even if it is something I have said several times, since it is normal for him to repeat his ideas.
In addition to Alzheimer's disease, the patient can hear and see poorly, so it may be necessary to speak louder and face the patient so that the patient hears correctly.
However, the cognitive ability of the Alzheimer's patient is greatly altered and even if he follows the indications in the speech, it is possible that even he does not understand.
7. Keeping the Patient Safe
Generally, the patient with Alzheimer's does not identify the hazards, and may jeopardize his or her life and others and to minimize the hazards, one should:
- Put a name bracelet with the name, address and telephone number of a relative on the patient's arm;
- Inform the neighbors of the patient's condition, if necessary, help him;
- Keep doors and windows closed to prevent them from escaping;
- Hide keys, especially from home and car because the patient may feel like driving or leaving home;
- Do not have dangerous objects visible, such as cups or knives, for example.
In addition, it is fundamental that the patient does not walk alone, leaving home always accompanied, because the risk of getting lost is very high.
8. How to take care of hygiene
As the disease progresses, it is common for the patient to need help to do his or her hygiene, such as bathing, dressing, or combing for example, because, in addition to forgetting to do so, he fails to recognize the function of objects and how each task is done.
Thus, in order to keep the patient clean and comfortable, it is important to help him or her perform by showing how it is done so that it can repeat itself. In addition, it is important to involve him in the tasks, so that this moment does not cause confusion and generates aggression. See more in: How to care for a bedridden person.
9. How should the food be
The patient with Alzheimer's disease loses the ability to cook and, gradually, loses the ability to eat by his own hand, and may have difficulty swallowing. In this way, the caregiver should:
- Prepare meals that please the patient and do not give new foods to try;
- Wear a large napkin, such as a bib,
- Avoid talking during the meal so as not to distract the sufferer;
- Explain what you are eating and what objects are for, fork, glass, knife if the patient refuses to feed;
- Do not antagonize the patient if he does not want to eat or if he wants to eat with his hand, to avoid moments of aggression.
In addition, it may be necessary to make a diet indicated by a nutritionist so as to avoid malnutrition and in case of problems of swallowing it may be necessary to make a soft diet. Read more in: What to eat when I can not chew.
10. What to do when the patient is aggressive
Aggressiveness is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, manifesting itself through verbal threats, physical violence, and destruction of objects.
Usually, aggressiveness arises because the patient does not understand orders, does not recognize people, and sometimes because he feels frustration when he realizes the loss of his abilities, and in those moments, the caregiver must remain calm, seeking:
- Do not discuss or criticize the patient, devaluing the situation and talking calmly;
- Do not touch the person when he is aggressive;
- Do not show fear or anxiety when the patient is aggressive;
- Avoid giving orders, even if simple during this time;
- Remove objects that may be thrown from the patient's proximity;
- Change the subject and encourage the patient to do something they like, such as reading the newspaper, for example, in order to forget what triggered the aggressiveness.
Usually the moments of aggression are fast and fleeting, and usually the patient with Alzheimer's does not remember the event.
