Dementia Patients are People Too

One of the biggest problems we face in the Alzheimer's and dementia care communities is the abandonment of both the caregiver and the person living with dementia by family, relatives and friends.This causes a great deal of psychological and emotional pain forboth the caregiver and the person living with dementia.How to redirect an Alzheimer's patientSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:It is not unusual for caregiver to tell me that as time goes on, and as Alzheimer's worsens, one by one their family and friends fade away.Abandonment of Alzheimer's Caregivers is CommonIn the articleAre Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?I wrote,One issue that really frustrates me is the treatment of Alzheimer's caregivers. Most Alzheimer's caregivers hear people tell them how wonderful they are for taking care of their loved one. As a caregiver, I learned to appreciate these compliments. They help, they really do.However, if you have a loved one, family member, or friend that is an Alzheimer's caregiver and all you do is tell them what a great job they are doing -- it is not enough.Many Alzheimer's caregivers are forgotten by family and friends. This is a sad truth that is rarely discussed. This is understandable -- Alzheimer's is scary and disconcerting. It is hard to accept, hard to understand, and hard to watch as it progresses.The odd part in this dynamic is that is not unusual for people to say - I don't know how you do it, or you are doing a great job. Th...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness Alzheimer's Communication alzheimers care dementia care help alzheimer's help with dementia care how to communicate with dementia patients Source Type: blogs