Handling Difficult Feelings After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis

It doesn’t have to lead to total fear, though. Unfortunately, many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s end up living in some level of fear: fear of the unknown, fear of the future, or even fear of the memory loss to come.

The earlier stages of the disease.

In the beginning, memory loss is a primary sign and symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s one of the first things people notice. It starts to impact daily life. An individual can’t remember where they put the house keys. They forget what they were doing when they walk into a room. They leave something on the stove.

As the disease progresses, though, memory loss will increase. The challenges will mount. That senior will struggle with daily life in ways they might not have imagined before.

With the help of Alzheimer’s care, an aging senior who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s doesn’t need to live in constant fear. They can rely on an experienced, professional in-home care aide to support them.

What about family and friends?

Elderly men and women often turn to family and friends first. It’s the most comfortable and convenient option when somebody has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s — or who needs some level of support and care as they age.

In time, though, the value of elder care increases. Most family caregivers and friends who offer a lending hand quickly realize how challenging it is to support somebody with Alzheimer’s.
In many of those same cases, family and friends live in a different kind of fear. They might worry that what they’re doing isn’t enough. They may be afraid about what happens when they’re not around, when they go to sleep, or when they head home for the afternoon or evening.

Friends wonder how much more they can deal with. How much more they can handle. It’s not that they want to be selfish, but no matter how close their friendship was, there is a limit to how much a person is able and willing to handle, both emotionally and physically.

How can seniors get beyond the fear?

By turning to an experienced, dependable, professional in-home care aide. That person, that support system, will be able to step in, assess the situation, and provide wonderful strategies that not only improve quality of life, but also keep the senior engaged and focused on the moment, not the future.

When someone is focusing on the task at hand, they are in the present moment. When they are idle, watching TV, sitting doing nothing, that’s when thoughts can wander. Too often, they look to the future and wonder what’s going to happen next month, next year, and fear begins to take hold.
A person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s doesn’t have to live in fear when you have the best Alzheimer’s care supporting them along the way.

Reference
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/anxiety-dementia

If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s care in Salina, KS, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas today. Call 620-603-0685.

Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas is a Trusted Home Care Agency Barton, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Great Bend, Hutchinson, Larned, Lyons, Marion, McPherson, Newton, Pawnee, Rice, Reno, Salina, Sedgwick, Stafford, and the surrounding areas.