Being a family caregiver is never easy. Even if you’re caring for a loved one with a short term injury, you have to put your whole life on hold and focus on being the best caregiver possible. And when you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s, the stress can be debilitating. The emotional pain of seeing your mom or dad suffer from the condition, coupled with caregiving’s physical and mental stress, can take a toll on your mental and physical health.
Family caregivers must get timely support to prevent caregiver burnout. If you don’t have someone to talk to, you can use online support services like ExtendaTouch’s Alzheimer’s helpline to get support from other family caregivers.
The Challenges of Caring for a Parent With Alzheimer’s
Our parents are the ones that taught us everything and supported us in every way possible. Since your parents raised you, it can be heart-wrenching to see them suffering from conditions like Alzheimer’s and need help in their daily lives. Caring for a parent can be overwhelming, especially if they have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is a life-altering condition. It causes a gradual loss of memory that can, later on, affect the ability to think and behave like a normal person. How quickly the symptoms progress can vary, but they make progress for almost everyone. As of now, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s.
During your caregiving journey, you have to deal with a lot of stressful situations. Seeing your parents slowly forget who you are and eventually forget how to do mundane things is one of the worst things someone can go through. The pressure of wanting to be there for them and putting yourself second leads to most caregivers ending up with depression and anxiety themselves. Although it can seem selfish to want to care for yourself at this time, too, it is necessary for providing quality care to your loved one.
How to Overcome the Stress Associated With Caring for a Parent With Alzheimer’s
You can do many different things to relieve your stress when your life revolves around caregiving for a parent with Alzheimer’s.
- Exercise: This doesn’t have to be hours upon hours of weightlifting. Doing as little as a lap around the neighborhood is enough. And if you can’t leave your parents unattended, it is a good idea to get your yoga mat for a 30 minutes exercise. Taking a few minutes off for yourself can momentarily take your mind off of the stress. Moreover, doing exercise will release endorphins in your brain that will help elevate your mood, so you go back feeling refreshed and energized.
- Ask for help: As a primary caregiver for a parent going through Alzheimer’s, you want to do everything possible to improve their quality of life. Realistically, this is very hard to accomplish. It makes sense to break up your daily or weekly tasks and see if you can have someone else like a sibling to do the tasks that don’t need you to be there personally, such as getting groceries or paying the bills. This will free up a little bit of time in your day, and you won’t find yourself exhausted from running around all day long.
- Call a helpline: If you don’t have anyone around to speak about your challenges, head over to a helpline instead. Online services like ExtendaTouch can be a great help under such circumstances.
