An Intimate Look at Alzheimer’s Disease
By Edmarie Meaux, New Dawn Memory Care, East Denver LIVING WELL Magazine
Medicine with all its improvements and technological advances is still an inexact science and the faith in each individual to achieve an answer to the mysterious road to a healthy mind and body often remains elusive for patients, families and health care professionals.
I’m a licensed nurse and for 17 years I have been working in the health care industry and I want to invite you to take an intimate look at Alzheimer’s disease and the struggles of difficult behaviors. How often do you start your day feeling happy and upbeat and later during the day you get great news and become excited, but later in the day you phone dies in the middle of an important call and you become frantic? Meaning you can understand and react to your feelings. You have the ability to fix the problem and even reach out for help. Unfortunately, people who struggle with Alzheimer’s or any memory problem cannot control their actions, yet many care-givers expect their loved one to act appropriately and cooperate, creating animosity for all parties. Keep in mind, you are the one who has the ability to change the course of action, which leads me to how you can deal with difficult behaviors.
I am the former director of health and wellness at New Dawn Memory Care and I am now the vice president of operations, and in my experience when dealing with a resident with difficult behavior, I’ve found patience and communication crucial for taking control of the situation. Impaired communication accounts for most of the disruptive behaviors that may arise in Alzheimer’s disease. Imagine waking up one morning and not recalling who you are, where you’ve been or where you are going. How scared would you be? Even worse, someone knocks on your door to help you get up and take a shower, invading your privacy, how confused would you be? Would you shout, strike out? Well this is how an Alzheimer’s victim feels every day.
Please understand your loved one does not mean to hurt you, but frustration and anger can set off a verbal or physical attack. For example: hitting may be a sign of your loved one’s effort to communicate and express an emotion or maybe a need to protect themselves from an imagined threat. It is our job as caregivers to make our loved ones with Alzheimer’s feel safe at all times. So we need to learn how to be receptive so we can better understand and care for their memory loss.
Managing Behaviors
Here are a few tips that will help you communicate better with your loved one. Remember, we all have the need to communicate on a daily basis and as a caregiver our job is to piece together the puzzle that will bridge successful communication between both parties. First, act calm, be receptive and inviting when communicating with a person struggling with memory loss. Empower them and treat them as your equal. Look them in the eye, address them by their name, and don’t ask open-ended questions. Instead guide them gently using a soothing and reassuring tone and avoid using negatives, as this may alter their mood and make them feel ashamed or embarrassed. Documentation also plays a big role in managing behaviors. Keep a journal that will later help you anticipate your loved one’s difficult time of the day. A lot of people with Alzheimer’s struggle with “Sun Downing” which means that later in the day or evening they become more confused and may wander or act out. This is a great time to prepare and engage them in activities. I believe that meaningful activities will decrease the possibilities of an outburst. Keep in mind that many of us are tired and cranky in the evening after a long day of work. Don’t be intrusive, always ask, don’t assume. Respect their privacy and always treat them with dignity and encourage their independence. Explain everything you are doing so they feel safe and so they may exercise their mind allowing time to respond. Value their opinion. We all like to be empowered and remain useful in our society, so following a set daily routine will help minimize confusion. Be creative and personalize their space to make it more visual. If you are still not successful with decreasing your loved one’s outbursts by following these tips, then contact The Alzheimer’s Association or The National Caregivers Association for guidance and support.
DON’T EVER LET A LOVED ONE BECOME A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
Coping with Placement
It’s hard to let go, and I know this from experience because each one of my residents become a part of me and when it’s time to let go we all struggle with feelings of guilt and helplessness. We think we are alone. I’m here to tell you that you are not.
I became a nurse to save lives, but little did I know it was never up to me but up to the will and power that lies in each human being. My mission is to provide the best day ever for each one of my residents who are suffering from many kinds of memory problems including Alzheimer’s disease. This brings me back to families and their loved ones coping with placement. Do you recall leaving your son/daughter on their first day of school and they were screaming, shouting and crying at the top of their lungs? I am sure you felt so guilty and that you failed them, but then the weeks went by and then your child wouldn’t even kiss you goodbye before entering class because they were so excited. It means you have chosen the right place for your loved one. A place you can trust and have peace of mind, and where your loved ones is safe and happy. That is my vision as a professional nurse for all my patients and family members. So I encourage you to do your homework to find a place where your loved one can age in place. A place that champions quality of care but more importantly, quality of life.
Alzheimer’s Disease – It’s a progressive, degenerative and irreversible dementia, which eventually affects every aspect of an individual’s personality, health, lifestyle and relationships.
Thanks to all of you brave soldiers, as we all need to stand strong as an army to fight hand in hand against this devastating disease. This is why my team and I have joined forces to help you fight. You are all heroes, and we all want to be understood and accepted for who we are as well as who we will become. That’s why I firmly believe that each day brings a NEW DAWN. Last but not least, I want to thank all the families, health care professionals and residents that provide me with the knowledge and inspiration to keep fighting and making headway in finding the cure for this disease. This continuous teaching/learning experience holds the key to the future. So be ready to be receptive, be ready to listen. Shhhhhhh, I can hear them talk…now let’s communicate.
Edmarie Meaux is the vice president of operations for New Dawn Memory Care. You can reach her at info@newdawnal.com or www.newdawnal.com.
