With gratitude to all the caregivers who have shared their sensitive and sensible answers to the critical family question: NOW  WHAT ?

While their specific answers are too numerous to list, their agreement on the  “You really need to know” items can assist all families just beginning to ask  “Now what?"

Most caregivers wished they had known early on how Alzheimer's progresses and what behaviors to expect in their loved ones. They felt such advance information would have helped them better prepare their families and themselves for “what comes next."

Stages of Alzheimer's               

The progression of Alzheimer’s disease is highly individual so it is not possible to predict your loved one’s specific behaviors over time.

However, experts have classified the disease into Early, Mid, and Late Stages.   The following  timeframes and  behaviors serve as general guidelines for families:

Early Stage: 2-4 yrs. - Diagnosis usually occurs end of this stage

           Short-term memory loss

           Loss of problem-solving and judgment

           Attention span of 15 minutes

           Talks around ideas; some word loss

Mid-Stage: 2-10 yrs. following diagnosis

           No short-term memory   

           Little long-term memory

           Attention span of two minutes

           Difficulty understanding others

           Extensive assistance with activities of daily living

           Episodes of incontinence

Late Stage: 1-3 yrs.

          Attention span of a few seconds

          Total assistance with activities of daily living

          No awareness of person, place, time, or purpose of objects

          Incontinence and loss of motor skills

Experienced caregivers also wished they had been told early on "How do I communicate with my loved one as their communication skills  decline?" 

Communication Tips

Positive communication and warm interactions form the basis of caring caregiving:   

Not surprisingly, these are the same “basics” taught to all healthcare professionals who interact with Alzheimer’s patients, whether at home or in residential care settings.  

Think about your speech, body language, and body movement as you interact with your loved one:

How to Talk: 

           Slow, calm speech   

           Sincere tonality

           Simple short sentences

           Offer verbal prompts for assistance

           Avoid asking "Do you remember. . .?"

           Give loved one extra time to answer

Body Language:

           Cheerful face   

           Use gentle touch as reassurance and guidance

           Use gestures as visual cues to help loved one

           Use hand-on-hand to demonstrate use of objects or actions

Body Movements:

           Calm, non-threatening movements

           Approach your loved one from the front to avoid frightening them

           Avoid startling them awake in the morning or from a nap

Experienced caregivers know how much better things go when they and their families show gentle, respectful, and sensitive verbal and non-verbal behaviors towards their loved ones.

Of course, Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect... so be patient with yourselves as you incorporate these caring basics into your personal caregiving.

For more information on Alzheimer's disease, visit QualityHealth's Caregiving Health Center.               

Comments (6)

	1. 09-10-2007 15:25
	thank you. these are things that the doctors do not tell you.. and being prepared would have been better..... Guest

guest

	2. 09-10-2007 19:22
	Thank you, Jackie. These are really helpful guidelines. Guest

HealthyGurl

	3. 14-11-2007 06:00
	Alzhiemers really a short span Alzhiemers? Count your blessings it was not autism! We have been dealing with autism & a lot more for 22+ years. The added seizure were even more care involved staring at age 19. Care givers. There is no support for young adults age 22 -64. I have given my life as a "caregiver/ Mother" & will have to continue to do so for the full life time spam. Not just a few years. I have been using these tip for 20 yrs. Yeah they help, me. http://newbella Guest

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