When A Loved One Has Alzheimer’s

Feeling forgotten by a loved one is excruciatingly painful. And, unfortunately for many family members and friends of Alzheimer’s sufferers this is the reality.

A lot has been said about the individual suffering from the disease, but the truth is that those close to him or her suffer greatly too.

In this post we’ll discuss three ways to help you deal with this difficult reality.

Have Someone to Talk To

The only thing more difficult than suffering is probably suffering alone. Carrying pain and hurt on your own can pile up and make it that much harder to deal with. So make sure to have someone to talk to, someone who you feel comfortable sharing you experiences with.

They’re not Doing This on Purpose

It may be helpful to realize that your loved one doesn’t like how they’re being any more than you do, and if they’d be able to, they’d give everything they had to be healthy again. They truly want what’s best for themselves and for you, but unfortunately they’re sick and act this way despite not wanting to.

Self-Time

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or looking after them is a great deed. If it is all you do, however, you can get burned-out very quickly. Along with caring for your loved one, it is essential that you take the time to care for yourself. While it can feel selfish to think about yourself, especially during such times, it is absolutely vital that you do just that for your own sake and for that of your loved one.

Do you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease?

How do you care for yourself?

Please share in the comments below.