If someone in your family has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease, the news can be upsetting and frightening for everyone.  You’ll be worried about the changes that you’re going to be seeing this person go through as well as what the future holds for you as a family.  You’ve already faced the first challenge:  getting the right diagnosis.  If you’re going to the primary caregiver of the family member who has been diagnosed there are some things that you’ll need to know so that you can make life easier for everyone.

Make sure that you learn as much as you can about Alzheimer Disease and about being a caregiver.  You’ll want to find out how the disease will affect the other person, what changes will take place, and how you’ll be able to provide the help that is needed so that the person retains as much of their dignity and independence as they can.  You want to preserve as much of the quality of life as possible so that everyone involved feels like they are still in control and managing okay.  The information that you learn about Alzheimer Disease should be shared with those people closest to the patient, such as family members, friends, and co-workers.  Contact the Alzheimer Society for more information since they have many resources that are there for your benefit. 

It’s important that you understand that Alzheimer Disease will have a huge impact on the person who has been diagnosed and their ability to function.  This is a disease that progresses over a certain period of time. 

The day to day functions of the person will be greatly affected depending on what stage of the disease they are at.  You need to learn about the day to day problems that you can expect to face as a caregiver.  This information will give you a better understanding of the realistic capabilities of the patient.  Take some time to ask how you can help them to keep their independence and a feeling of control.  Perhaps the most important thing that you need to learn is how to be patient and understanding.

Always keep the patient in sight.  This means that no matter how the disease affects that patient that you always remember that they are an individual with thoughts and feelings.  Treat the Alzheimer patient with dignity and respect at all times no matter how difficult things become for the both of you.  Many of the person’s abilities will be lost but they will still have feelings and emotions that need to be respected.

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