No personal care activity is more challenging than helping your loved one bathe or shower. Because bathing is such a uniquely private activity, your loved one may not want your help. But for most of our loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, the time will come when they need some assistance. To ensure success with this important activity, tailor your support to match your loved one’s ability.

While having your loved one wandering around the house might be challenging to you as a caregiver, it’s not necessarily unsafe. However, some wandering can be dangerous, including going into areas of the house such as stairwells, decks, hot tubs, or swimming pools. Also dangerous is your loved one leaving the house, yard, or property alone. To address the challenges of your loved one wandering, you can try some of these tactics.

A medida que la enfermedad de Alzheimer cambia la capacidad de un individuo para recordar y pensar, también puede cambiar la capacidad de controlar las emociones. Hasta el 40 por ciento de las personas que padecen la enfermedad de Alzheimer también sufrirán una depresión significativa. Dado que es posible que su ser querido no pueda expresar sus sentimientos, es posible que se recurra a los cuidadores familiares para que le ayuden a identificar los síntomas de la depresión. La Escala de Cornell para la depresión en la demencia puede ayudar en esta situación.

As Alzheimer's disease changes an individual's ability to remember and think, it can also change the ability to control emotion. Up to 40 percent of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease will also suffer from significant depression. Since your loved one may be unable to articulate their feelings, family caregivers may be called on to help identify symptoms of depression. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia can help in this situation.

Music is one of the most ancient forms of human communication and entertainment, and also has clinical benefits. Here’s how to do music therapy with your loved one at home.

To fully understand how Alzheimer's disease impacts an individual's emotions, we need to understand what parts of the brain Alzheimer's affects and what parts it does not. That imbalance leads to common emotional symptoms, including depression and apathy, anxiety, fear, and agitation. The ability to feel fear and anxiety, along with an inability to control the emotional response, creates a potential for exaggerated emotional responses or unexpected upset.

Para comprender completamente cómo la enfermedad de Alzheimer afecta las emociones de un individuo, debemos comprender qué partes del cerebro afecta la enfermedad de Alzheimer y qué partes no. Ese desequilibrio conduce a síntomas emocionales comunes, que incluyen depresión y apatía, ansiedad, miedo y agitación. La capacidad de sentir miedo y ansiedad, junto con la incapacidad de controlar la respuesta emocional, crea la posibilidad de respuestas emocionales exageradas o malestar inesperado.

Para los cuidadores, algunos de sus mayores desafíos provienen de los cambios de humor, personalidad y comportamiento que pueden ocurrir cuando la enfermedad de Alzheimer afecta el cerebro. A continuación se ofrecen algunas recomendaciones para manejar estas situaciones.

For caregivers some of their greatest challenges come from the mood, personality, and behavior changes that can occur as Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain. Here are some recommendations for handling these situations.

Coping with memory loss can be a time of sadness and frustration for both the person affected and their family, friends, and caregiver. Here are some of the tips shared from others who have faced life with Alzheimer’s disease.

How to use the "Think FAST" technique to help get your loved one “unstuck” from a distressing topic and instead think about things that generate positive thoughts

For people with Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety can complicate their course and significantly reduce their quality of life and interpersonal relationships. Here's how you can help.

Para las personas con Alzheimer, la ansiedad puede complicar su evolución y reducir significativamente su calidad de vida y sus relaciones interpersonales. Aquí te explicamos cómo puedes ayudar.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease affect both the patient and those who interact with them -- especially caregivers. As Alzheimer’s alters the ability of the patient to think and function, those changes can impact others. Listed below are some common challenges you may face and the strategies we’ve found that can help.

Nearly 40 to 50% of patients with dementia develop apathy in the early and intermediate stages of their disease. Here are the key symptoms to look for in your loved one.

El cuarenta por ciento de las personas con enfermedad de Alzheimer también sufre una depresión significativa, lo que amenaza la calidad de vida tanto de los pacientes como de sus cuidadores. A continuación se explica cómo obtener ayuda y planificar estrategias para afrontar este desafío adicional.

Forty percent of people with Alzheimer’s Disease also suffer from significant depression, threatening the quality of life for both patients and their caregivers. Here is how to get help and plan strategies to face this additional challenge.

Over the last 20 years, extensive research, at Harvard and other prestigious universities, has shown that only 20 minutes of daily meditation has dramatic effects on physical health.