Caregiving for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease &

Parkinson’s Disease

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

• most common form of dementia among older people

• dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities

• involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language

• may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing

1. Setting up home care – Adjusting your communication style to the patient’s

changing needs as the disease progresses– Scheduling visitors to avoid surprises and have

something to look forward to– Establishing routines in activities of daily living– Maintaining social contacts and fun – Setting up a safe home environment– Considering placement in a facility if caregiving

becomes unmanageable at home

2. Promoting comfort and safety– As the symptoms of progress, the person becomes more

emotionally fragile– Promote the patient’s sense of well being by providing

emotional support and by helping to maintain familiar activities and social contacts

3. Be sensitive and gentle about informing the patient of the diagnosis– Be prepared to patiently repeat the information at times

when you’re trying to help the person understand why they can’t do something or why you are taking over a task the person used to do

4. Develop a positive attitude– caring is based on unconditional love– do not consider it as a burden– patients are able to read body language and to

respond to the positive attitudes of the caregiver5. Learn to communicate with the patient– Acknowledge requests and respond to them– Don’t argue or try to change the person’s mind, even

if you believe the request is irrational– Be affectionate with the patient

6. Remember the worth of the person as a human being– Even if they don’t seem to respond, the person

deserves to be loved and cared for, touched, and spoken to

7. Manage behavior problems – Be accepting of the increasingly limited

capabilities of the patient – Do your best to be patient, kind, flexible,

supportive, and calm

8. Expect the patient to totally lose their memory– Be ready with boundless patience– You may feel aggravated at repetitive behaviors or

with having to repeat what you just said, time and time again

9. Get emotional support

10. Engaging the Alzheimer’s patient in activities– Keeping the mind and body active: important part of

Alzheimer’s care– During early-stage, slowing the progression of the

disease can involve maintaining a variety of activities in terms of mental and physical exercise, diet and social life

– Provide a variety of stimuli that reduces boredom, while maintaining a relaxing enough environment to avoid over-stimulating or stressing the patient

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

• progressive disorder of the central nervous system

• main features: slowness of movements, compromise of balance, muscle rigidity, and tremor

• caused by low levels of dopamine, which activates cells in our brains that let us move

1. Assist with Daily Activities and Therapies• Encourage the patient to stay active with simple exercises,

like walking or gardening• Check with the patient’s doctor to find out if other group

activities or exercise programs, such as yoga or massage, may be beneficial for the patient

• If the patient is involved in physical therapy, speech therapy, or other exercise programs, try to assist the patient with their exercises

2. Create a safe home for your parkinson patient

3. Help with the patient's treatment program• Include in your notes any observations you make

about the patient that may be useful to the patient’s doctor.

4. Support the Patient in Eating a Healthy Diet• Encourage the patient to enjoy a balanced diet rich

in whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and calcium.

5. Learn Basic First-aid Techniques

6. Take Care of Yourself• Health is important to the caregiver and to the

patient

Placing the patient in a facility • To determine when you should send a patient with chronic

brain disorder to a facility, consider two factors:

Your own physical and mental state•stressed, anxious, depressed, easily angered, or irritable •exhausted or having sleep problems •health begins to deteriorate •people say you are depressed or exhausted, but you deny it •withdraw socially •can’t concentrate anymore

Patient’s physical and mental state

•The person is so physically abusive that you don’t feel safe anymore•The person wanders from home and jeopardizes his/her own safety