Get help Ten Questions to Ask Your Parent’s Doctor About Alzheimer’s: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/alzheimers-disease/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100230451 Alzheimer’s Association, a national organization, has a variety of programs, materials and support services that can help you find your way. www.alz.org or (800) 272-3900. The National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education & Referral Center has a wealth of information regarding causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment: www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/stages.htm

There are few diseases that have as profound an impact on the families of the patients as Alzheimer’s Disease. As the family caregiver you may feel overwhelmed by the growing need to protect the safety and health of someone you love who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. If so, you are not the only one. A 2001 study found that family caregivers often were forced to give up their work in order to spend 47 hours a week caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. That’s a tremendous burden to take on alone.

To minimize the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on you, the family caregiver, there are a number of steps that you can take to help take care of not only your parent, but yourself and other family members as well.

No. 1: Get help. You really can’t do this alone. According to a 2007 Swedish study people who tried to go it alone showed “significantly higher values for worry, overload and role captivity, and a higher level of depression” than people who sought help.

No. 2: Talk about it. There are a number of support groups for Alzheimer’s Disease patients and their families. Many family caregivers report having trouble making a distinction between their parent and the behavior caused by the disease. You may find yourself getting frustrated or angry with your parent and finding a support group or other people to talk with about it can help.

No. 3: Get informed. This article from Synergy Home Care included a few resources listed above to help you understand Alzheimer’s Disease and to find ways of dealing with both your parent’s, as well as your own, health and well-being.

Contact Synergy Home Care at (877) 230-4851 or www.synergyhomecare.com.

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