How to cope with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis
If you have recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, surely you already know what Alzheimer’s is and now you are wondering how you are going to live with this disease.
In this article we will give you some advice to help you cope with day-to-day life, maximize your independence and live your life to the fullest.
You may also like…
1. Accept the changes that come with Alzheimer’s
Things that you used to do easily (like keeping to a schedule or managing your budget) will gradually become more and more difficult. Some people try to hide these difficulties to protect themselves or their family from embarrassment, or simply because many people do not want to ask for help.
Trying to hide the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms and pretending that these changes that are the first stages of Alzheimer’s are not happening, can be a huge source of stress. It is essential that you accept that your abilities are changing and adopt new strategies that can allow you to face these changes and obtain a new life balance.
Accepting this reality will give new meaning to your life, allowing you to understand what Alzheimer’s means to you, how it affects you and how to live with this disease.
We know that these changes can be difficult, but by accepting them you will be able to find ways of:
- Developing strategies to stay active
- Responding to day to day challenges
- Maximizing your independence
- Improving your general wellbeing
- Regaining a sense of control over your life
Remember that what works for someone else, may not necessarily work for you. And what works one day, may not work another day. Therefore, the best thing you can do is adopt new, flexible strategies that can be adapted to best suit you and your day to day life.
The more flexible your approach, the better strategies you will find to help you manage each and every situation.
2. Create your own strategy to cope with Alzheimer’s
Only you are aware of the changes that you have to face in order to complete tasks that used to be easy for you. This is why the ideal person to develop a strategy for coping with Alzheimer’s is you.
Developing your own strategy to face changes is not actually that complicated. You can simplify the process by focusing on these three steps:
Identify
Make a list of the tasks that take more work.
If, for example, you can get to work no problem, but you forget to take your medication, make a note of it. Each time you find it difficult to carry out a task properly, add it to the list.
Establish priorities
Determine how important the task is to you.
Order the list according to what you consider to be more important. Take into account if they are things that your loved ones or friends can help you with, or if it is something that you would absolutely prefer to do alone.
Think strategically
Find the solution that suits you best.
If you are finding it difficult to cook for yourself, but you know that cooking everything in one big pot makes it easier for you, do not hesitate to simplify the process.
Try to keep a written record of all your ideas about how to simplify daily tasks. You can share these ideas with your loved ones so that they can help you carry certain strategies, or to contribute their own ideas.
3. Accept help from others
Loss of independence is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s that causes the most amount of worry for patients in the initial stages of the disease. Sometimes you may feel that when you ask for help, you lose control over yourself and start becoming more and more dependent.
Although it may seem like a sign of weakness at the beginning, asking for help is essential, and if you have help to carry out certain tasks, you will have more time for other tasks that you would prefer to do yourself. In other words, although it sounds contradictory, you may need help in order to maintain your independence and remain in control
4. Tips for your day to day life as a patient with Alzheimer’s
- Set realistic goals and focus on what you can do today. Use the skills you have to face the changes and challenges. Take into account that some tasks may become more difficult over time, but you can reduce the stress that this causes you by asking your family or friends for help.
- Develop a daily routine. Make a daily plan to help manage what you want to do during the day. Keeping to a schedule or a plan will help you reduce the amount of time spent on trying to figure out what it is you need to do, when to do it or in what order. Dedicating some time at the start of the day to organizing your agenda will help you effectively carry out your daily tasks, reducing the possibility of failing or confusion.
- Focus on one task at a time. According to your daily play, you will already have an idea of how to order your tasks. Do not attempt to do two things at once, because this can cause you to become frustrated and to fail to achieve both tasks. It is better to focus all of your attention on a single task, and then, when you have achieved it, continue to the next one.
- Recognize sources of stress. Identify what it is that causes you the most anxiety, worry or stress. Finding this out will allow you to properly plan your daily routine in order to determine what you should dedicate more time to, what you should do more calmly and which activities you actually want to participate in.
- Take your time. Give yourself enough time to complete a task and try not to put pressure on yourself or feel down if you cannot do something with the same agility that you had yesterday. Breathe, take your time and try again later.
- Give yourself a second chance (or a third!). Take into account that it can take various attempts to solve some problems. It is completely normal to have to try several strategies before finding the right one. Think about what you have done, what you could have changed and the adjustments you could make.
- Use your strength. Your internal strength, your family, your friends, your faith, your pets. Everyone is different, but finding your own source of strength will help you face everyday challenges. Keep in touch with them or go and visit them, and you will see that they are a huge support.
You may also like to read:
Tips from other patients with Alzheimer’s
Remember that you are not alone. Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects men and women all over the world. In addition, every day, more and more research is being carried out and new discoveries are being made, guiding us towards a better understanding of the disease. Now, we will look at the treatments for Alzheimer’s. Don’t forget to share this information, as it could prove useful for your friends and family too.
If you would like to know some more specific strategies that have been adopted by Alzheimer’s patients to help cope with day to day tasks, find out how other people have dealt with Alzheimer’s. This should help a lot!