This is the first in a series of posts I plan to do in which I want to share what it’s like living with an Alzheimer’s family member. Perhaps I am doing this because I’m looking for a therapeutic outlet. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a 24/7 a day job. You don’t get a vacation. The weekends are not your own. You cannot spontaneously go to a movie. Even planning a trip to the grocery store requires that someone is always caring for your loved on. You are on the clock with no relief in sight. In this post, I want to focus on the communication aspect of talking to your loved one. For a toddler, teenager and adult, if you have a stomach ache you know how to convey that message. For an Alzheimer’s patient who is easily confused, a simple question becomes a foreign language. There are times that nothing makes any sense. You instantly revert back to caring for an infant and try to guess what’s wrong. I’v...
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