Alzheimer's Disease

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Causes

• Advanced age
• A head injury
• A heart attack
• Gender (The disease strikes more women than men.)

Signs/Symptoms

Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Talking: Call Alzheimer's victims by name, and speak slowly, clearly, and calmly. Use short words and sentences. Don't give too much information at once. The tone of your voice and the way you look when you talk are important. Stand where you can have eye contact and be seen. To get their attention, you may want to touch their arm or shoulder, hold their hand, or put your arm around their waist.
• If you have to repeat yourself, always use the same words. Don't ask many questions because the person may be disturbed at not knowing the answer. Questions with a Yes or No answer may be easiest. It may take a while, but wait for a response. Remember that a victim of Alzheimer's may say one thing and mean another. You may need to ask if you correctly heard what the person said.
• Give instructions one step at a time. It may be easier to write down simple directions. Limit the number of choices because decisions may be hard to make. Talk only about things that are real to the person. If he or she has a hard time talking, you may finish the rest of the sentence. Arguing is not helpful.
• Eating: Meals should be taken at the same time and in the same place each day. There will be less confusion if there are few food choices. Eating patterns may change in people with Alzheimer's: They may gorge and then force themselves to vomit, or may not eat at all. Sometimes offering small meals and snacks may cause earlier food habits to return.
• Serving one food at a time may help reduce confusion. Be sure food is soft and cut in small pieces. Remind people with Alzheimer's to open their mouth and chew the food. Drinking liquids may be a problem. Choose gelatin, pudding, soup, or ice cream and limit caffeinated soft drinks, coffee, and tea. Caffeine may increase excitability and activity. Give the person healthy finger foods if he or she won't sit and eat.
• In the final stages of the disease, weight loss and difficulty swallowing may complicate matters. Try different foods to see whether the patient can handle one better than another. Try to get the person to drink 6 to 8 large glasses of water each day to prevent dehydration.
• Safety: Make the victim's home safe to prevent injury. Go through the house and remove or lock up dangerous substances such as drain cleaners, paint, or medicines. You may need to take off the stove burner knobs.
• Smoking is dangerous because the person may forget to put out a cigarette. Hot water and electrical machines may cause injury. Loose rugs can lead to falls. Doors and windows should be tightly closed to prevent wandering or other injury.
• Activities: People with Alzheimer's will function best when they have a regular routine. Try to keep care and activities the same from day to day. Repeating familiar activities with frequent breaks may often work best. Choose simple pastimes that hold the person's interest, and work with him or her on a one-to-one basis. Save difficult chores for times when the person seems the most alert.
• Personal Care: Alzheimer's patients often dislike showering or bathing. Be sure the bath water is not hot enough to burn. They may dress without noticing the color or pattern of their clothes. Hair care or other personal care may not interest them.
• Toileting: It may help to try to put a person with early Alzheimer's on a schedule: urinating every 4 hours, for example. Note the person's bowel movement routine and try to maintain it.
• Over time, people with Alzheimer's may become unaware of the need to relieve themselves. But you may notice that they are picking at their clothes, touching their genital area, or acting restless. Because they may sometimes forget the location of the bathroom, put up bright signs showing the way. Take them to the bathroom often.
• Sleeping: Try to keep the Alzheimer's sufferer awake during the day. To encourage uninterrupted sleep, limit liquids in the evening. Warm milk at bedtime may be helpful.
• Wandering: You may need to install new locks on the outside of doors to keep the patient from going outside alone. An alarm system near doors can alert you when they're opened. A bracelet or necklace with the person's name and phone number on it will provide identification in case he gets lost.
• Pain or Discomfort: It's often hard to tell whether someone with Alzheimer's is in pain or discomfort. Breathing noisily, moving rigidly, or constantly making noises may indicate pain; while a sad or scared expression may be a sign of discomfort.
• Depression: This problem is common in the early stages of Alzheimer's. One tip-off is a preference for being alone. If the person seems depressed, consult your doctor. Medication can solve the problem.
• Exercise: Regular activity is good for both the mind and the body. It can help alleviate anxiety and depression and improve sleep. Exercise can also bring more oxygen and fuel to the brain cells. Walking is especially beneficial for people with Alzheimer's.
• Coping: Alzheimer's disease is a life-changing disease for both the victim and the family. It's difficult to accept the fact that a loved one has this disease, and the full realization can cause fear, anger, and depression. It helps to discuss the situation with your doctors, family, and friends. Joining an Alzheimer's support group can be beneficial, too.