Support for Caregivers

Caring for Mom and Dad: a PBS special underwritten by AARP offers a look at family caregivers.  It airs on Mothers and also Fathers day and can be viewed at http://www.pbs.org/caringformomanddad 

“There is no work today..”

Yesterday I did a haircut for a guy whose girlfriend’s dad has Alzheimer’s. Her dad lives with her– despite the fact she has had serious heart problems, she is raising teenagers, and she has a busy life in general.

Oftentimes, people with Alzheimer’s become obsessed with certain incidents or topics; for her dad, it is insisting that he still works a full-time job. He becomes anxious that he is late or has skipped work for weeks. He talks about it constantly. So, his daughter came up with an idea to ease his tension. She now calls her boyfriend when her father is having an episode, and he pretends to be her father’s boss. He tells her father that there is no work today or that their records indicate that he is now retired. They talk for about 10 minutes every day.

Easy ideas such as this are great ways to avoid arguing with an Alzheimer’s patient and to simply appease them instead. Even if something as simple as handing the phone to your loved one for 10 minutes can lessen their confusion for a few hours, it is more than worth it!

-Lora

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2013

 

Provided by the Alzheimer’s Association.