Seeing someone you love and admire start to lose their capacity to think clearly as they age can be very hard. Alzheimer's and dementia are very difficult diseases for the person afflicted, and also very hard for the family and loved ones to experience as well. It is important that you get your loved one the care that they need, otherwise they can become a danger to themselves and to others. Here are some things that you should be looking for that will tell you it's time for assisted living, or memory care.
1. Personality Changes
One of the first things you will see happening is that the person will go through personality changes. For some it can be that they become like a little child, but for others they become aggressive, angry and violent. Unfortunately, any people turn to the later and it can be very hard for family and friends to watch. Someone who used to be a loving person now is critical, mean, and even violent when they don't get what they want. Know that this is not your loved one, this is the disease.
Because the person can become dangerous it is important to get them into a treatment center wherever they have staff that can handle the outbursts, and medicate them if needed.
2. Paranoia
Another common symptom of Alzheimer's and dementia is paranoia. Your loved one may start to believe that people are out to get them. They might even think that you are trying to hurt them. They might not eat the food you bring them because they believe it is poisoned, they won't take medication, and they may spend their days living in some sort of conspiracy theory.
The paranoia is challenging because it can make the person miserable. They may not be able to enjoy life, or things they once used to love, because they are scared that someone is going to hurt them.
3. Wandering
Lastly, you should be watching out for wandering. This can be very dangerous because your loved one may wander somewhere and forget where they have gone. This can even happen around places they are very familiar, like their own neighborhood, or a grocery store where they go often. If you notice this happening, you need to get your loved one professional care.
As you can see, it is better for your loved one to get the care that they need, which is why you should be looking at for these signs.
Share22 November 2017
When your parents, grandparents, or other loved ones need a bit of extra help, you want to ensure that they are getting the best care possible. That means you need to help them pick out the right nursing home or assisted living facility. On top of that, you need to understand other elements of elder care such as living wills, healthcare directives, power of attorneys, and related elements. This blog takes you through all of it. Just as your parents probably referred to a book once in a while to get tips on how to care for you when you were a baby, you may need some tips and guidance to take care of them. This blog is designed to fill that role.