Your dad has Alzheimer’s disease and as he’s moved into the middle stages, he’s developing serious behavioral issues. It’s starting to worry you as you don’t know how best to manage his behaviors and keep him safe. These five Alzheimer’s care tips will help.
Pay Attention to the Time of Day
Sundowning is common in Alzheimer’s. When your dad starts sundowning, it will make his behaviors harder to manage. Pay attention to the time when he starts becoming more paranoid, argumentative, emotional, delusional, or even starts hallucinating.
You’ll start finding patterns. Once you’ve narrowed down the times, look at what may have caused it. Are rooms becoming a little darker and shadowy? Is dinner an hour away? You can turn on lights before a room is shadowy. Give a snack to keep your dad’s blood sugar levels stabilized between meals.
Avoid Certain Words
Some words will lead to agitation. Don’t tell your dad “no,” “you can’t,” “don’t,” or anything else that’s restricting your dad from something. If he wants to go for a walk, instead of saying he can’t tell him you just need to get a snack first and then you will.
By distracting him with a snack, he’ll forget that he wanted to go outside. You’ve diffused the situation without him becoming angry.
Try to Keep From Grabbing Him
It’s hard to avoid grabbing your dad, especially if he’s about to do something you consider dangerous, but grabbing him may irritate him. That will cause him to lash out verbally or physically.
If he is about to do something dangerous, such as use window cleaner instead of mouthwash, you’ll have no choice but to knock it away. Be prepared for the reaction he’ll have. Distract him with something he likes and then lock all cleaners away.
Keep Track of the Effective Distractions
Redirecting your dad is a big part of the day, so it helps to know the best ways to distract him. Will he stop what he’s doing for his favorite candy? If you put on his favorite song, does it instantly shift his mood?
When he’s becoming agitated, grab a candy or turn on some music and you stop the troubling behavior. You can then move on to whatever you need to do.
Don’t Let Stress Get the Best of You
Alzheimer’s care services provide you with the break you need. Caring for a parent is hard enough, but Alzheimer’s makes it so much harder. Stress is going to impact you at some point, and that can impact the quality of care you offer.
With an Alzheimer’s care aide, you can focus on self-care each day while knowing your dad has the help he needs to stay safe. Arrange this specialized level of home care by making a call.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Care in UTC, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aaron Home Care. (619) 880-5522
A Trusted Home Care Agency Serving La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Diego, UTC, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, Bonita, Eastlake and the surrounding areas.
In 1999, Aaron was named Residential Program Manager of a group home for disabled adults in Arlington, Virgina. Here, he built a reputation for being compassionate with his clients and efficient in company operations. In the years that followed, Washington DC’s human services field went through unprecedented reform when the city was fined $11 million for the previously unchecked abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the very population it was supposed to protect. In 2005, Aaron was selected by a watchdog company to co-create and implement a monitoring system to safeguard and advocate for the system’s most vulnerable residents. This system is still in use today.
Aaron is now using his unique gifts and profound experience in the human service field to provide San Diego County Seniors with dependable, compassionate caregivers through Aaron Home Care.
He currently serves on the board of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council and is an active member of the Senior Advocate Network of San Diego.
Aaron Home Care is a member of the American Board of Home Care and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
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