Posted on June 7, 2012 - by Nurse Virginia

THE STRESS OF HAVING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – THE STRESS OF HAVING DEMENTIA

Is it stressing to have dementia? Is it stressing to have Alzheimer’s disease?  Well what if you:

• Started a project or even a routine task that you have done many times before, and you couldn’t finish it because you have a very short attention span and you get easily distracted
• Keep getting reminded that you have forgotten something, people keep saying to you “don’t you remember?” How stressful is it to be reminded that you made a mistake?
• No longer have the ability to change your schedule or routine and yet is continues to be changed for you.
• Had spatial or perceptual problems and you misinterpreted the environment or can’t recognize people, objects, tasks, etc. You spend your entire day trying to figure these things out.
• Had a decline in your ability to communicate – you neither understand what is being said to you or can make yourself understood.
• Can no longer tell the difference between what is real and what is not real, so you routinely think what is happening on TV is real.

It would be as if you were in a foreign country, a country where you not only don’t know the language but the customs are equally confusing for you. This would be on-going, continuous, multiple, and major stressors for you and the people trying to assist you.

What you need is a guide. A guide who knows not only the language and customs of this foreign place, but a guide who knows your language, knows your likes and dislikes, one who knows how to communicate with you.

Virginia Garberding R.N.

Director of Education, The Wealshire, Lincolnshire, Illinois

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance

www.pleasegettoknowme.com