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[The
material on this page was current when it was first posted.
For up-to-date information on this topic, visit the caregiving pages.
Note that in 2003 the Alzheimer Wandering Registry was
renamed Safely Home™ -- Alzheimer Wandering Registry.]
[From
our January 1999 Alzheimer Awareness Campaign]
Alzheimer
Caregiver Stress: 10 Warning Signs
How
are you sleeping at night? Fine. How many times
do you get up during the night? Not many. How
many times were you up last night? Oh, twelve. It's
just another sleepless night for the Alzheimer caregiver.
Providing
Alzheimer care takes a tremendous toll on the physical
and emotional health of the primary caregiver, yet many
caregivers often don't recognize the warning signs or
deny its effects on their health. Many caregivers tend
to set their own needs aside while caring for the person
with Alzheimer's disease and hope that if they don't think
about it, the stress might just go away.
Dr.
Julie Chandler, a physician in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
says, "Fatigue is one of the major things that I
see. People reaching the end of the rope in terms of
their patience. Some of this is related to fatigue because
if you're constantly tired from being up all night with
the person with Alzheimer's disease, how can you possibly
be patient with them even though that's what they need?"
Caregiver
stress is a normal part of Alzheimer caregiving. There
are steps you can take to reduce it but first, you must
recognize it. The 10 warning signs of caregiver stress
include denial that the person even has the disease,
anger at the person with the disease and others, emotional
sensitivity, social withdrawal and depression. Symptoms
also include lack of sleep, lack of concentration, exhaustion,
anxiety and an increase in health problems.
If
you or someone you know is exhibiting signs of caregiver
stress, it is important to seek help. The person under
stress should go to the doctor for regular check-ups.
Ask family members and friends for their help and support.
Take advantage of community programs that provide respite
and relief from caregiving, practical help with meals
or housework and assistance with the care of the person
with Alzheimer's disease. And plan ahead for both the immediate
future and the long term. These are just some of the
things caregivers can do to make their lives a bit easier.
The
Alzheimer Society can help with services such as support
groups, counselling, information resources and the Alzheimer
Wandering Registry. The Society also funds research into
improved methods of caregiving and service delivery,
as well as research into the cause and cure of Alzheimer's disease. These Alzheimer Society resources and services
are made possible by donations from Canadians.
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