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How
Are You Doing?
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, a person's abilities change. Eventually, full-time care will be needed. The person will require help with everyday activities, including bathing, dressing, eating and using the bathroom. Providing this support on a day-to-day basis can be exhausting. When considering how best to meet the needs of the person with Alzheimer's disease, it is important to think about what's best for the person while also evaluating the impact that caregiving is having on your own well-being.
Experiencing some stress is part of everyday life. However, when symptoms of stress persist, they can be harmful. The following checklist from The Alzheimer Journey: At the Crossroads, may help you identify how stress is affecting your life. Place a checkmark to indicate how often you experience these symptoms of stress.
| Caregiver Stress Checklist |
Never |
Sometimes |
Often |
Loss
of sleep
- Are
you experiencing difficulty getting to sleep?
- Do
you wake up in the middle of the night?
- Do
you have stressful dreams?
|
|
|
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Personal
health
- Have
you gained/lost weight recently without intending to?
- Do
you get ill more often than you used to?
- Have
you developed chronic health problems (e.g.,
backache, headaches, high blood pressure)?
|
|
|
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Emotional
health
- Do
minor upsets make you cry, angry or unusually irritated?
- Are
you having difficulty controlling your temper?
- Do
you feel pressure to hold things together?
- Are
you feeling hopeless about your current situation?
|
|
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Loss
of interests
- Have
you given up hobbies or interests that you once
enjoyed?
- Are
you spending less time with others?
|
|
|
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If you answered "sometimes" or "often" to many of the questions above, you may need to seek help to care for yourself. Even with the help of support services, providing care to a person with Alzheimer's disease can be overwhelming. No matter how close you may be to the person, you may want to consider including others in the caregiving role.
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