Memory loss is going to be difficult to deal with, whether you’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a different form of dementia, or even if it’s your spouse or close loved one. It’s not easy to handle. Help from a dementia care team would be helpful under the circumstances.
When somebody has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, especially somebody extremely close to you, you wish you could turn back the hands of time. Perhaps the memory loss is only temporary. It may be permanent. It might even be progressive, such as is the case with Alzheimer’s. Over time, dealing with somebody you love who has memory loss is going to strain your patience, your ability to handle the challenging times ahead, and your relationship.
If you want to learn how to better deal with memory loss that your spouse or partner is currently dealing with, here are a few things to consider.
First, practice patience.
It’s not going to get easier. If you are generally an impatient person or get frustrated easily, now is the time to start practicing holding your tongue, stepping away when you need to, and avoiding the temptation to react.
Nobody is perfect, so don’t expect to be. What you want to do now is create habits where you step away, count to 10, or use other techniques to keep you from reacting emotionally to difficult circumstances.
For example, you might have repeated the same thing to your loved one five times already in the last 15 or 20 minutes, but they keep forgetting. Your instinct may be to ask them why they are being so stubborn, but it’s not their fault. So, in cases where you normally lose patience easily, develop techniques that force you to wait before you react.
Second, make sure they are formally diagnosed.
It’s easy in today’s information-driven age to look up symptoms online and assume somebody is dealing with specific health issues. Only a trained medical professional should be diagnosing somebody with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
If you recognize that your loved one is exhibiting signs of memory loss, encourage him or her to visit their doctor for a formal diagnosis.
Third, learn what to expect.
Maybe your spouse is dealing with the side effects of certain medications. Chemotherapy is well known to cause memory-related challenges. Other prescription medications could, too.
But, if your spouse has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, research and talk to others — especially medical professionals — about what to expect. The more prepared you are for the progression of memory loss in the future, the more equipped you’ll be to handle the changes as they come.
Fourth, get the right assistance and support.
You may assume you can handle this situation on your own. After all, when you said ‘for better or worse,’ you meant it, but it’s going to get tougher than you can imagine. In-home care is the right option at this stage in your life.
Even for just a couple of days a week, an experienced dementia care aide can make a world of difference for not just your spouse, but you during these difficult times to come.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Dementia Care Services in Elizabethtown PA please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Lancaster today. Call (717) 391-6363
Extended Family Care Lancaster is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania including Columbia, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hershey, Lebanon, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, and Paradise.
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