Caring for a Loved One with Memory Impairment
Did you know that June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month?
Caregiving for a parent or other family member with memory impairment can be time-consuming and emotionally challenging. Once, this individual made important decisions for you. Now he or she seems to be “not quite all there,” having forgotten shared memories that you still cherish.
We discuss dementia when we want to reference a variety of symptoms that impair memory. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, the progressive disorder that can rob an individual of not just their memories but their cognitive abilities. It’s these changes from the neurological decline of dementia that can turn a loving mother into a seemingly different individual, one you sadly now hardly recognize.
Nationally, one in 10 people over age 65 already has Alzheimer’s disease. And the local facts are equally grim: By 2025, the Alzheimer’s Association predicts that there will be 320,000 individuals in Pennsylvania with Alzheimer’s, an increase of nearly 15% from only two years ago. Other data shows that:
African Americans are statistically twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or dementia as Caucasians
Women make up almost 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s
Nearly one out of every three seniors who dies today has some form of dementia
Eighty percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s are 75 or older
Seeking Help
Hiring at-home care services can provide relief and peace of mind for your family. During the current pandemic, at-home care can be the safest way of obtaining help since unnecessary community interaction is reduced. Extra help can be given a few hours a week, daily or even full-time. Support can help reduce frustration— not just of the Alzheimer’s patient but the family caregiver as well.
Services like Reliance Home Health can help you create a safer environment for your loved one with help in areas like medication reminders, healthy meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation and grooming care. And we treat your loved one with the compassion and dignity they so richly deserve.
There’s no doubt that coping with someone with Alzheimer’s disease is demanding. For more information on how we can help, please call us today at 610-896-6030. You can also contact the Delaware County chapter of the National Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders or the national Alzheimer’s helpline 24/7 at 1-800-272-3900.
