Caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease are family, people, and friends. Paid worker’s assistance is also necessary to ensure that Alzheimer’s patients do not interfere with the busy school and work schedules of the family members. Determination of whether Alzheimer’s patients need to be at home is very necessary for evaluating the kind of care and attention that they receive from the family people. Most Alzheimer’s patients get their attention from informal caregivers who can be both men and women (LDBiondo –wood and Harber, 2006).
Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain and all the nerves in the body. The disease develops gradually and is said to be a disease of the old because it relates to the inability to remember. Failure to think and carry out consciousness, the mental process is not possible, and these are the main symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Inability to perform tasks, behavior changes, and rigidity at the social level can also be associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Dementia results from AD, and the victim may die. Alzheimer’s victims have poor memory and other mental inabilities, which cause confusing behavior. Living with such people at the basic social unit, the family, may not be easy. Family caregiving advice and tips are necessary to deal with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Family members diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease live for less than ten more years and not more than twenty years. Their siblings, parents, or relatives consider them to be waiting for death. Alzheimer’s victims develop a negative attitude in life and may be focused on their conversations. They may feel rejected, and this results in self-isolation. The victim’s next of kin may not want to take advice from others, and this worsens the victim’s behavior. The unusual and confusing behavior makes the patients not be received well by other members of the family. Misunderstanding arising from an inability to remember makes communication to be impossible. Alzheimer’s patients do not have the self-confidence to express them, which causes neglect and dejection by the family members (LDBiondo –wood and Harber, 2006).
In the early stage of Alzheimer’s, individuals are not able to manage their funds properly. Unwise use of money may be costly in the long term. Victims with dependants will not have an easy time. Dependants need the Alzheimer victim’s resources for their daily basic needs, school fees, and investments or saving. The victim may not plan for his or her money wisely, given that he/she just about to pass away. Quarrels, disagreements, and disappointments will be the order of the day at the households level.
Alzheimer’s victims do not want to be part of social institutions. The victims lack interest or energy and are unwilling to take action. Family members may not give a nice reception to the rest of the siblings, parents, and relatives—lack of cooperation at the family level results in isolation. Alzheimer’s patient’s apathy is the main impact of the disease at the family level.
Repetition of questions, statements, and answers by Alzheimer’s victims is a barrier to effective communication with other family members. Lack of adequate and sufficient passing of information is unusual behavior, and other family members need caregiving knowledge, skills, and techniques to address the issue. Time may be limited for them to seek relevant caregiving tips, and the victims may not understand why (Shawn C, 2006).
Failure to recognize family members and friends by Alzheimer’s victims causes trouble. Family members are stressed and depressed by watching their loved members have a health deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s. Provision of a comfortable environment is not easy due to busy work and school schedules. Learning about AD by other family members may take time, causing a delay in good caregiving. Emotional, financial, and legal support may not be available due to the misunderstanding of the condition by caregivers.
Alzheimer’s in the middle stage destroys the capability to be focused and have long-term objectives, which results in different patterns of thought among family members. Respite care for the victims may be neglected due to the focus on giving attention to young members of the family.
In the end-stage, family members may not give adequate placement facilities due to the expensive nature of the condition. The brain is a very useful organ, and any disturbances caused will ruin a victim’s world, which starts at the family level (Carter, 2007).
References
- LDBiondo –wood and Harber (2006) Nursing research Methods and Critical appraisal for Evidence based 6th edition P.g 30-46 Willey. New York
- Carter (2007) Family Care giver alliance. Web.
- Shawn C (2006) Long-term Care Placement of Dementia Patients and care giver. Health and well being pp. 1-2. Willey. New York