adsfalzheimer's disease at home (1)

7/29/2019 adsfAlzheimer's Disease at Home (1)

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INTRODUCTION

Managing a disease at home is extremely important to the sick person’s well-eing! "#ter

all$ care does not stop e%en a#ter he or she is discharged #rom the hospital and away #rom the

watch#&l eyes o# doctors and n&rses! 'hether home management o# a disease or condition entails

gi%ing prescried medication at the proper time and dose or in%ol%es more ad%anced proced&res

s&ch as irrigating and dressing a s&rgical wo&nd$ it plays a ig role in the sick person’s reco%ery!(

"l)heimer’s disease is managed at home most o# the time! *eople with "l)heimer’s

disease are rarely taken to see the doctor #or the disease itsel#+ most o#ten they need a doctor’s

attention #or other conditions that are associated with "l)heimer’s disease s&ch as maln&trition

and respiratory prolems!, There is no c&re #or it as o# yet$ so management o# the disease

in%ol%es s&pporti%e care! This means that the person with "l)heimer’s disease is prescried

medications to make him more com#ortale and independent! .&pporti%e care also in%ol%es

pro%iding a sa#e en%ironment #or the "l)heimer’s patient$ keeping him oriented to his

s&rro&ndings and pro%iding a ro&tine that he can #ollow consistently! Caring #or a person with

"l)heimer’s at home is important eca&se the goal is to gi%e him com#ort and pre%ent any

accidents that may happen as a res&lt o# his dementia!

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*eople who de%elop "l)heimer’s disease are &s&ally 78 years old or older$ so i# they do

ha%e children they wo&ld e grown &p y then! 9&t there is a #orm o# the disease called early-

onset "l)heimer’s! 2i%e to ten percent o# "l)heimer’s patients de%elop it at an earlier age$ with

people starting to show symptoms o# the disease as early as age ,:! ;$8



Raising kids in general$ e%en when the parents are healthy$ is a di##ic&lt task as it in%ol%es

a lot o# time and e##ort+ th&s raising them while coping with "l)heimer’s disease presents se%eral

challenges! These challenges may incl&de how the "l)heimer’s patient will ens&re his personal

sa#ety as well as the sa#ety o# his children+ how to explain to them that they may de%elop the

disease later in li#e+ and how to cope with the mental and emotional stress ro&ght ao&t y

changes in the way the #amily works once symptoms o# the disease egin to show!

Tho&gh there are no set r&les on how parents sho&ld raise their children$ experts on the

#ield agree on some road principles$ namely< preparation #or the parenting role$ prediction o#

how negati%e things happen in the parent-child relationship and a%oiding them$ planning and

practicing positi%e interactions$ and learning to thank$ appreciate$ and praise children! 7

'hen a person who has "l)heimer’s disease has to raise children the ao%e principles

still apply! 9&t st&dies ha%e shown that the children o# people who ha%e "l)heimer’s disease tend

to e sad$ a#raid$ angry$ and resent#&l+ not necessarily toward the parent with "l)heimer’s disease

&t to their c&rrent sit&ation in general! They #eel sad #or themsel%es and the parent with

"l)heimer’s disease$ they #ear the emarrassment that a parent with "l)heimer’s disease may

ring$ they are angry that they m&st ad=&st to things that most o# their #riends and peers do not

experience$ and they are resent#&l eca&se they cannot do certain things >like in%ite people o%er

and ha%e ho&se-parties? eca&se o# a #amily memer with "l)heimer’s disease!@ There#ore the

parent with "l)heimer’s disease on the early stages m&st make steps to address these iss&es$

ens&re that the children ha%e a strong emotional s&pport system$ and m&st show patience and

&nderstanding toward them and what they are going thro&gh!



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Reading

" person with "l)heimer’s disease retains reading skills and o#ten per#orms etter in

reading tests than other people who ha%e s&##ers #rom a di##erent cogniti%e prolem$ s&ch as

people who ha%e had strokes!B

Reading ser%es as a means #or oth ed&cation and entertainment! 2or a person with

"l)heimer’s disease oth #&nctions o# reading are %ital!

Reading for Education

"n "l)heimer’s patient$ i# diagnosed early$ has the ene#it o# time e#ore the more se%ere

and deilitating symptoms o# the disease are #elt! .ome o# this time sho&ld e &sed to learning

ao&t the disease and what steps to make in preparation o# the disease! O#ten$ people read ao&t

the disease a#ter they ha%e een diagnosed with it to &nderstand the symptoms that they are

c&rrently going thro&gh and to &ell any #ears they may ha%e! 4earning what to expect and how

to prepare #or them$ knowing what things to ask the doctor$ and anticipating #&t&re needs gi%es

the "l)heimer’s patient more peace o# mind!

It is important to note$ tho&gh$ that the s&pport system+ the #riends and #amily o# the

person with the disease$ m&st also read and e ed&cated ao&t it! 1%en the yo&nger memers o#

the #amily m&st e gi%en some in#ormation so as not to shock or s&rprise them when the more

se%ere symptoms o# the disease egin to show!



Reading for Entertainment

"ll people diagnosed with "l)heimer’s disease experience #ear$ anger$ and depression!

These stresses are most e##ecti%ely addressed y a comination o# co&nseling- talking to other

people to %ent #eelings$ and y per#orming some am&sing di%ersionary acti%ity like reading!

4ight$ inspiring$ and en=oyale ooks ser%e to entertain and to li#t the "l)heimer’s patient’s

mood!

Frequency

" person with "l)heimer’s disease sho&ld de%ote at least a #ew ho&rs per day #or reading

and other di%ersionary acti%ities! The ed&cational and entertainment ene#its o# the acti%ity are

%ital$ tho&gh there is c&rrently no e%idence linking reading to the treatment o# the disease!

Swimming

.t&dies ha%e shown that str&ct&red physical acti%ities speci#ically tailored #or

"l)heimer’s patients to e %ery ene#icial in maintaining physical #itness and health!(: " person

with "l)heimer’s disease can still engage in acti%ities s&ch as swimming as long as e%ery

preca&tion is taken to ens&re his sa#ety and the sa#ety o# the people aro&nd him! This in%ol%es

#inding a swimming #acility that has trained sta## ale to cater to people with conditions s&ch as

"l)heimer’s!

.wimming as a #orm o# exercise helps the "l)heimer’s patient to retain a certain degree

o# physical #itness! It strengthens the m&scles &t does not introd&ce too m&ch impact to them$

&nlike aeroic ro&tines or weight li#ting! .wimming as a physical exercise sho&ld e per#ormed

ao&t twice or thrice a week pro%ided that the person with "l)heimer’s disease does not ha%e



other pre-existing medical conditions that pre%ents him #rom swimming! Th&s getting a doctor’s

ad%ice is important e#ore eginning a swimming ro&tine or any other #orm o# #itness regimen

#or that matter!

Watching TV

'atching tele%ision programs is one o# the most common #orms o# cheap and accessile

entertainment today! It ser%es to am&se and in some cases also to ed&cate! There is no reason

why a person with "l)heimer’s disease sho&ld not engage in this acti%ity!

" disad%antage o# watching TE is inacti%ity and sedentariness! 'atching too m&ch TE

won’t necessarily ca&se prolems physically$ aside #rom eye strain$ &t inacti%ity #or long

periods o# time will!

Too Much TV and Alzheimer’s Disease

" #ew years ago contro%ersial res&lts o# a st&dy y researchers #rom Case 'estern

Reser%e Uni%ersity 3ospital o# Medicine and the Uni%ersity 3ospitals o# Cle%eland were

p&lished! The st&dy stip&lated that there is a link etween watching too m&ch tele%ision and

de%eloping "l)heimer’s disease! The res&lt o# the st&dy was gleaned #rom s&r%eys and inter%iews

o# caregi%ers o# "l)heimer’s patients!(( This research is highly critici)ed y many experts and &p

to now no hard e%idence pro%ing that watching too m&ch tele%ision really ca&ses "l)heimer’s

disease has een disco%ered!

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.tress cannot e entirely a%oided in the co&rse o# a person’s li#e! .tressors are

e%erywhere and people m&st #ind ways to properly deal with them! There are general ways to



relie%e stress and they incl&de things like reathing exercises$ meditation$ low-impact physical

exercise like Tai-Chi or Aoga$ and progressi%e m&scle relaxation! These things ha%e een

disc&ssed extensi%ely y %ario&s a&thors and they are pro%en ways to increase relaxation and

pro%ed a #eeling o# calm to a person!

The stress o# "l)heimer’s disease$ i# not managed$ will make li%ing with it di##ic&lt! This

applies not only to the person s&##ering #rom it &t also to his or her s&pport system as well!

2amily$ #riends$ and caregi%ers share the stresses that "l)heimer’s disease rings! The

importance o# relie%ing this stress is critical to the mental health o# e%eryone in%ol%ed! There

ha%e een cases where children o# people with "l)heimer’s disease end &p needing psychiatric

care d&e to the &nresol%ed tra&ma and stress that the experience o# dealing with a lo%ed one with

"l)heimer’s has ro&ght them!@



1 Rice$ Royn! Home Care ursing !ractice" Conce#ts and A##lication$ rd ed! .t! 4o&is$ MO< Mosy$

,::(!2 *erls TT$ 3erget M$ 3igher respiratory in#ection rates on an "l)heimer6s special care &nit and

s&ccess#&l inter%ention$ % Am &eriatr 'oc! (8+;<>(,?<(;(F;!3 National Instit&te o# "ging! "l)heimer6s Disease Medications 2act .heet!

http<GGwww!nia!nih!go%G"l)heimersG*&licationsGmedications#s!htm! Updated Decemer ,$ ,:(:!

"ccessed H&ne ,:$ ,:((!4 0rosserg 0T$ Desai "/! Management o# "l)heimer’s Disease$ The %ournals of &erontology$

,::+8B<>;?<(-8! 5 T&rkington C$ Mitchell D! The Encyclo#edia of Alzheimer(s Disease! ,nd ed! New Aork$ NA< In#oase

*&lishing+ ,::!6 Raser$ Hamie! Raising Children )ou Can *i+e ,ith" A &uide for Frustrated !arents! (st ed! 3o&ston$

T< 9ayo& *&lishing+ (!7 3endershott$ "nne! The Reluctant Caregi+ers" *earning to Care for a *o+ed -ne .ith Alzheimer’s$ (st

ed! 'estport$ CT< 0reenwood *&lishing 0ro&p$ ,:::!8 2riedman R9$ 3adley H"! 4etter y letter s&r#ace alexia! Cogniti+e euro#sychology$ (,+<(B8-

,:B!9 3eston$ 4eonard! !rogress in Alzheimer’s Disease and 'imilar Conditions$ (st ed! "rlington$ E"<

"merican *sychiatric *&lishing Inc+ (@!10 /&hn D$ 9ennet D! Alzheimer’s Early 'tages" First 'te#s for Families/ Friends/ and Caregi+ers$ ,nd

ed! "lameda$ C"< 3&nter 3o&se+ ,::!11 99C News! TE Jlink’ to "l)heimer’s! http<GGnews!c!co!&kG,GhiGhealthG(,:;B;!stm! Updated

March 7$ ,::(! "ccessed H&ne ,:$ ,:((!

http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/medicationsfs.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1204894.stm

http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/medicationsfs.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1204894.stm

adsfalzheimer's disease at home (1)

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