Seeking Out Support After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
The moment that you find out that your aging loved one is living with Alzheimer’s disease is truly life-changing. From that moment you know that their needs will increase and change as the disease progresses, and with them, your care efforts will need to increase as well. As their family caregiver, this will likely turn your thoughts to putting plans into place to handle these challenges, ensure your parent’s health and safety, and prepare for their future needs.
As their adult child, you are also going to think about the way that this disease will change their lives and impact the plans that they might have had for their later years. Both perspectives can be very difficult and leave you facing serious stress that can have a potentially negative effect on your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.
Finding support can help you to ease this stress and cope with the difficulties that you will face.
Seeking support for an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is not just important for you. Your elderly adult will also encounter their own emotions and reactions to this diagnosis and to the thoughts of how it will impact them as they progress. Support can help them to deal with these emotions in a healthy way and guide them through recognizing that life can still be fulfilling, meaningful, and valuable as they live with this disease.
Sources for support?
There are many sources for the support that you can seek out after this diagnosis. Friends and family and spiritual sources can be valuable, as can formal support groups. Utilizing a support group designed for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and those caring for them gives you the opportunity to receive support and encouragement from those who understand what both of you are going through, and to feel safe and comfortable expressing yourself and what you are going through.
Is respite care for you?
While you can seek support along with your parent, it is also beneficial for you to receive support on your own. This way you can discuss the issues that you are facing and your own stress without worrying about offending or upsetting your parent. This is an ideal time to utilize respite care so that your parent will continue to receive the care and support that they need while you take care of yourself and guard your own health and well-being for the challenging journey ahead.
How can elderly care help?
If you have recently learned that your aging parent is living with Alzheimer’s disease, or they have been progressing through the stages and their challenges have increased, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting senior care for them.
A senior home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they get all of the care, support, and assistance they need to handle their challenges and needs now and prepare them for their continued progression into the future. As their family caregiver, this can give you tremendous peace of mind and confidence that your senior is getting everything they need both when you are able to be with them and when you are not so they can enjoy the most active, fulfilling, and healthy quality of life possible as they age in place.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring elderly care in Dothan, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.
Sources:
www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_diagnosis.asp
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