Alzheimers Caregivers Benefit from Training

The San Luis Obispo Tribune has an article about a study in which Alzheimers caregivers received special training.

A social worker visited once per week, teaching coping skills and providing information about Alzheimers. The training made a difference and the article goes into details with examples.

The article explains that taking care of a person with Alzheimers differs from providing care to a regular senior. Symptoms of Alzheimer's can include aggressive outbursts and wandering.

When I had a relative with Alzheimer's symptoms it was before the condition was studied as much as it is now. The outbursts were psychologically painful and puzzling to me because they came from someone who had never behaved this way before.

The variations in the relative's behavior at different times of the day or on different days kept me wondering what was going on and what to do. This very sweet person would sometimes say things that were so unpleasant it was hard to believe.

Today, with the information we have available now, understanding this relative would be so much easier and life could be better for him. Practical training in hands-on assistance for activities of daily living would have helped me to cope better and to be of more help to him.

For the entire article click on the link above.