Strategies to Make the Days and Nights Better

I promised Mom I'd never make her go to a nursing home

Are you a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's disease, trying to keep your promise to Mom to care for her at home? It can be both time-consuming and emotionally challenging, as you balance the competing demands of caregiving, work, and other family responsibilities.

Most caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease typically need help in the following areas:

Training - education about Alzheimer's disease; care strategies and adapting routines to each stage of the disease process; and understanding difficult behaviors and how to prevent them.
Resources - help for caregiving in the home, which is often a 24 hour / 7 day a week task; expertise in adapting the home to make it safe for your parent; and support for your health and well-being as a caregiver.
Informed Decision-making - planning and preparation for the next stage in the disease process; understanding financial and legal issues; and end of life planning.
Problem Solving Assistance - helping you deal with the unique issues of the person with dementia who has impaired memory, judgment, and cognition.

At Sollievo, we are here to help you with the advice, direction, and strategies you need.

Get a Good Night's Rest

Lack of sleep affects everyone. When your mother or father doesn't sleep, you probably don't either. This sets up the cycle of a bad day, and a worse night, leading to yet another bad day or even worse, a crisis.

First Let's make the Home Environment Safe

You've probably created some safety nets for the daytime already, such as installing grab bars and securing chemicals. Consider these night-time safety steps:

Install dusk-to-dawn night lights in all rooms of the house.
Install dusk-to-dawn outside lights just in case your mother or father goes out at night.
Consider the use of low-tech monitors and security systems during the night. (Call us for resources)
Seek companion services for night time hours so you can get a full 8 hours of sleep. (Call us for recommendations)

What can your Mom and Dad still do?

Your aging parent (or relative) has a need to continue to be needed; to have a purpose. Consider their lifelong roles. Are there any that you can have them continue? Are there any parts of their lifelong habits or hobbies that he/she can still do. If so, let's do them. The "end product" is not what's important, it's the journey and the feeling of usefulness that really matters. So don't worry about whether or not he can still build the perfect dog house. But let him know how much you appreciate that he's helping you sand the wood and paint it. Did your mother like to garden? Could she plant flowers in buckets sitting on a table? Who cares if she gets dirt everywhere! Celebrate the beauty and smell of the flowers.

The better your days go and the more physically active your family member is, the better your nights will be.

You need rest and relief too.

The statistics are frightening. Aging parents often outlive stressed-out family caregivers by as much as 5 years. Stress wreaks havoc. Take care of yourself so you can be a better caregiver to your parent.

Click here for stress relief information.