Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease means dealing with many changes over time. What may start out as simply laying out clothes and little notes to serve as memory prompts around the house, may turn into changing locks to make sure your loved one doesn’t wander off, turning down the water heater to avoid burns, and making sure stove tops are off.

As the person’s needs change, so does the role of the caregiver. As the disease continues to progress, your loved one will need more and more care. The caregiver’s role will evolve from making sure your loved one can maintain as much independence as possible to taking responsibility for nearly constant care.

If you are providing all of, or most of the care for your loved one, you will go through many different emotions as you cope with the challenges and demands of your new role. Many people will experience anger, resentment, and cycles of grief as the person you care for loses the ability to relate or communicate. When caregiving becomes too much to handle it can even result in a burnout.

In the U.S. approximately 70% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s remain in their own homes, with the help of a spouse or other family member, throughout the course of the illness. Caring for a loved one with dementia can be very demanding and challenging. Fortunately, there are services to help as the loved ones needs change. They include support groups, home health support, adult day care, respite care, and hospice care. There is no need to deal with the ups and downs of caregiving on your own. Let people help you.

Absolutely! Journaling is recommended for everyone, but especially people in stressful situations such as caregiving.

To journal is to put your feelings down on paper, just between you and the pages. If you worry that someone may go through it, just keep it in a secure place. But not so secure you forget to write in it!

Make journaling part of your routine. It doesn’t necessarily have to be daily, but just on a regular basis. It’s like exercise for your brain and emotions. It doesn’t have to be long time consuming stories either, just enough that you can get things off your chest. Journal your thoughts and feelings. Deal with your guilt, resentment, anger, fear, or any other emotions you feel. If you are feeling these things, you need to deal with them, and journaling is a healthy way to do that.  For many caregivers the journaling process can help them to release some of the feelings and thoughts that have been troubling them.

Overall journaling can help relieve a lot of stress. Leaving you to be in a better state as a caregiver, and thus in a better position to take care of your loved one.

The term “sandwich generation” refers to families that are not only raising their children, but are also caring for a parent or grandparent, while perhaps also holding a job. This adds a complicated dimension to the family unit. The grandparent can become harsh or abrupt with the children. The children may feel the grandparent is taking up there space. Trying to balance care for your children, a parent, and a spouse is a very difficult act for a primary caregiver. It is a very stressful job.

A support group is highly recommended to aid with coping strategies.   Being around others that are experiencing or have already experienced what you are going through can be a tremendous benefit.  Not only can they offer you advice on how to cope with the trials and tribulations of what you are going through, they can act a living proof that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. There are support group’s designed to address the needs of everyone involved in the process.  Finding the right support group can help a family work through the process.

So you are considering a caregiver for your loved one with Alzheimer’s.  The amount of training your caregiver needs depends on the level of care your loved one requires. A home health/private duty agency can assist you through this process. For example, if you are looking for some assistance with duties around the house such as cooking and cleaning, a housekeeper would be your choice. If you’re loved one is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and still is fairly independent but you don’t want to leave them alone, a sitter would be appropriate. ( Request an individual who has experience with dementia.) When your loved one begins to require help with things such as bathing, dressing, and toileting, then a certified nurse aid may be necessary. Only if your loved one requires skilled services would a nurse become involved. This usually occurs after a hospital stay.

Using a home care agency will provide you the guidance and assistance you need in this situation. The agency will take care of the hiring, background checks, payroll and benefits, training, and dismissal. It’s typically worth paying a little extra to have more support.