Alzheimer's Affects the Way a Person Thinks, Feels, and Acts

One of the biggest issues we face as Alzheimer's caregivers is learning to understand how a person living with dementia thinks and feels, and why they act the way they do.Early on,many of us conclude that the person living with dementia is being mean to us.The changes that come with dementia can bedistressing to a caregiver.As caregivers we often feelangry, disconcerted and sometimes, we feela sense of heavy burden, hopelessness, and even heartbreak.What is The Difference Between Alzheimer's and DementiaBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading - This is a Free Service - Join NowAs caregivers we deal with more than changes in memory.We deal with changes in behavior.Alzheimer's patients, especially in the beginning, experiencechanges in personality.They can easily become irritable, anxious, experience anxiety, and often act depressed. Their behavior can change abruptly and often for the worse.For many reason it is difficult to adjust to thesenew behaviors by a person we have known all or most of our life.For example. I am often told by caregivers that their loved one is beingmean to them. I ask, were they mean to you before the diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another type of dementia? Most often they answer, No. I then ask, what do you think the cause of their behavior is? I ask, are they being intentionally mean to you; or,is it the changes in their brain that are causing this meanness?When Dementia Patients Say Mean Things, What Can You Do?I unde...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer communication alzheimers care alzheimers caregiving awareness dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia help with dementia care Source Type: blogs