Common Challenges Faced By Dementia Caregivers

The symptoms and results of Alzheimer's disease and dementia are not similar to any other condition dealt with by older adults. Memory impairment, such as Alzheimer’s or another dementia affects every area of a senior's life, making specialized and personalized care even more important. Although, dementia is unique to the person facing it, but there are a few things older adults with these conditions tend to experience, from sudden changes in mood or behavior, general loss of thinking and cognitive memory, difficulty walking or swallowing, to disorientation and general confusion, loss of ability to speak or hold conversations, inability to recognize familiar places, people or participate in activities (personal care), inability to keep track of time, and worsening of symptoms over time.

There is a lot required of anyone caring for a senior, especially someone suffering from Alzheimer’s or any other dementia. The duties of a caregiver in these situations can be extensive as the damage of dementia and Alzheimer's is progressive and always unique. Caregiving at the start looks manageable. However, very often it is a long-term responsibility with many difficult tasks that one has to come face-to-face with.

As dementia disorders are hard to predict, dementia caregivers may be at the receiving end of a few challenges that is common for dementia caregivers to face during the dementia journey, which includes

1.      Incontinence

2.      Wandering

3.      Sudden mood swings

4.      Aggression and anxiety

5.      Sleep disturbances

Around 30 to 90 percent of patients with dementia suffer from such behavioral disorders.

The aforementioned dementia-related behaviors can leave caregivers overwhelmed, anxious and/or intimidated by their duties. Some common challenges faced by caregivers are

1.      managing their time,

2.      emotional and physical stress,

3.      lack of privacy,

4.      financial strain,

5.      sleep deprivation,

6.      being afraid to ask for help, and

7.      depression and isolation. 

The key for caregivers is to strike a balance between caregiving and your own life. If you are overwhelmed by caregiving tasks, follow these tips:

Seek help- It’s completely fine to ask for help. You can either consider respite care programs or find part-time help to assist you with bathing, dressing, and toileting. Enlist help of family members, don’t do everything alone. Then there are friends, doctors, and Alzheimer’s professionals to seek guidance from. There are many assisted facilities that offer weekend respite care. Join a dementia support group to learn from others in the same situation.

Pursue your interests- Take break. Find time for yourself to do things you enjoy doing, such as pursue a hobby, learn something, talk to friends, or anything else that gives you happiness. Until and unless you are happy, in no way can you make other people around you happy, again, you could not be happy until and unless all other people around you are happy. It’s a cycle you see. So make time for yourself.

Dementia is a progressive condition, so it’s a good idea to think about the future. Anticipating what’s coming will make it easier to make educated plans, ranging from home modifications to memory care.

If you feel family caregiving isn’t enough, it’s time to make a change. If you feel your loved one is in need of outside assistance, it is best to move your loved one with dementia into Memory Care, which will improve the situation for everyone involved. Anthem assisted living offers 24/7 care, and includes socializing with other residents, meals, activities, and medication management.

To learn more about Anthem Seniors’s custom approach to Memory Care, Contact us at 602.909.9550 to schedule a tour of our state-of-the-art memory care community.