Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPhysical Self-CareEmotional Self-CareSocial Support and OutletsAsking for HelpCaregiver Support
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Physical Self-Care
Emotional Self-Care
Social Support and Outlets
Asking for Help
Caregiver Support
Many people with Alzheimer’s disease can still care for their own needs to various extents.Caring for yourself as much as possible is essential for maintaining your cognitive abilities.
You can apply the “use it or lose it” principle to the mental and physical skills required for self-care tasks.If a caregiver takes over everything for you—while well-meaning—you may end up losing not only your independence but cognitive skills. Caring for yourself can also boost self-esteem and make you feel like yourselfrather than someone with a progressive illness.
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Alzheimer’s disease primarily affects the mind, but it can still have carryover effects on your physical health. It’s crucial to maintain your physical health as much as possible. Below are some recommended tips for doing so:
All of the above sounds easier said than done if you have Alzheimer’s. You and your loved ones may have to get creative with solutions to simplify these activities.
For example, using pill organizers, reminders or alarms, and automatic pill dispensers can help you stay on track with your medication. Meal delivery services can simplify the cognitive demands of cooking while keeping you independent. Removing fall hazards (like rugs, excess furniture, or clutter) can also keep you mobile, safe, and less visually distracted. Alarms, calendars, and digital reminder clocks can assist you in keeping up your routine.
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can bring up a lot of emotions, and rightly so—the disease can also make it harder for you to regulate your emotions. You may experience mood swings and feel confused, irritated, angry, sad, and defeated.
The following are things you can do to care for yourself emotionally:
Other Types of Self-CareSelf-care goes beyond emotional and physical needs. It also encompasses the following needs:SpiritualFinancialSocial
Other Types of Self-Care
Self-care goes beyond emotional and physical needs. It also encompasses the following needs:SpiritualFinancialSocial
Self-care goes beyond emotional and physical needs. It also encompasses the following needs:
Humans are social creatures. Community and social support can have a tremendous impact on our health. Unfortunately, socializing can become challenging due to the disease and associated stigma.
It may feel like your friends and loved ones are judging you, afraid of you, or, at the very least, don’t understand what you’re going through. You may also feel nervous about saying the wrong thing or not being able to get your words out right in social situations. Being open about your disease and experience may be helpful, and you may find that people are more understanding than you expect.
People with Alzheimer’s may benefit from connecting with people going through a similar experience. Consider joining a support group for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Joining other accessible groups, such as an exercise class, bingo games, a walking group, or other activities you enjoy, can also help.
There are ways you can care for yourself at almost any stage of Alzheimer’s. However, living independently gets more complicated once you pass the early stages of the disease. As your Alzheimer’s progresses, you will need to ask for (or be open to receiving) help to ensure your safety.
Some signs that you may need help from caregivers include:
The amount and types of help you need will change as the disease progresses rather than all at once. Ideally, your loved ones will provide help without doing everything for you so that you can maintain some level of independence and self-sufficiency.
Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia
Ways Caregivers Can Support Alzheimer’s Self-Care
Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s requires striking a delicate balance between assisting the person to do things for themselves or doing those things for them.
One concept that you may find helpful is the “just right challenge.“When it comes to self-care, you should provide just enough assistance so that the person can complete the task without getting overly frustrated or upset.
Case Study: Getting DressedWhen it comes to getting dressed, a person with middle-stage Alzheimer’s may require help selecting clothes because they don’t remember where their closet is, what time of day it is, or how to match clothes to the weather. Give them a choice between two options rather than dictating their outfit so they retain some agency.Your loved one may also require help setting out the clothes to put on but are still able to dress independently. This might feel frustrating, and it can be tempting to fasten all their buttons yourself or zip their zippers when you feel like it’s taking “forever.“However, it’s important to give the person ample time and verbal prompting (with patience) to attempt these tasks themselves.It may seem insignificant, but these are the things that will significantly help maintain your loved one’s cognitive and physical abilities and self-esteem.
Case Study: Getting Dressed
When it comes to getting dressed, a person with middle-stage Alzheimer’s may require help selecting clothes because they don’t remember where their closet is, what time of day it is, or how to match clothes to the weather. Give them a choice between two options rather than dictating their outfit so they retain some agency.Your loved one may also require help setting out the clothes to put on but are still able to dress independently. This might feel frustrating, and it can be tempting to fasten all their buttons yourself or zip their zippers when you feel like it’s taking “forever.“However, it’s important to give the person ample time and verbal prompting (with patience) to attempt these tasks themselves.It may seem insignificant, but these are the things that will significantly help maintain your loved one’s cognitive and physical abilities and self-esteem.
When it comes to getting dressed, a person with middle-stage Alzheimer’s may require help selecting clothes because they don’t remember where their closet is, what time of day it is, or how to match clothes to the weather. Give them a choice between two options rather than dictating their outfit so they retain some agency.
Your loved one may also require help setting out the clothes to put on but are still able to dress independently. This might feel frustrating, and it can be tempting to fasten all their buttons yourself or zip their zippers when you feel like it’s taking “forever.”
However, it’s important to give the person ample time and verbal prompting (with patience) to attempt these tasks themselves.It may seem insignificant, but these are the things that will significantly help maintain your loved one’s cognitive and physical abilities and self-esteem.
You might be surprised to learn that many people can complete self-care tasks despite the advancing stages of Alzheimer’s. Even people in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease may be capable of brushing their hair if someone puts a brush in their hands. This is due toprocedural memory, a type of long-term memory that helps us perform skills like tying a shoelace, eating food, riding a bike, or brushing teeth.
Summary
It’s a common misconception that a person with Alzheimer’s can’t care for themselves. Just because you’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t mean that you can’t perform self-care tasks. Many people with Alzheimer’s continue to care for themselves, sometimes with a bit more assistance, for years.
Your abilities will change as the disease progresses, and so will the level of assistance you receive. However, even in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, there’s the possibility for some level of self-care.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dixon E, Piper AM, Lazar A.“Taking care of myself as long as i can”: how people with dementia configure self-management systems.Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst. 2021;2021:656. doi:10.1145%2F3411764.3445225Mistridis P, Mata J, Neuner-Jehle S, et al.Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protective factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14407. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14407Alzheimer’s Association.Taking care of yourself.Alzheimer’s Association.Overcoming stigma.Christiansen CH, Bass J, Baum CM.Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. Taylor & Francis; 2024.New York State Occupational Therapy Association.Alzheimer’s disease: how occupational therapy can utilize procedural memory as an intervention.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dixon E, Piper AM, Lazar A.“Taking care of myself as long as i can”: how people with dementia configure self-management systems.Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst. 2021;2021:656. doi:10.1145%2F3411764.3445225Mistridis P, Mata J, Neuner-Jehle S, et al.Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protective factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14407. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14407Alzheimer’s Association.Taking care of yourself.Alzheimer’s Association.Overcoming stigma.Christiansen CH, Bass J, Baum CM.Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. Taylor & Francis; 2024.New York State Occupational Therapy Association.Alzheimer’s disease: how occupational therapy can utilize procedural memory as an intervention.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dixon E, Piper AM, Lazar A.“Taking care of myself as long as i can”: how people with dementia configure self-management systems.Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst. 2021;2021:656. doi:10.1145%2F3411764.3445225Mistridis P, Mata J, Neuner-Jehle S, et al.Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protective factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14407. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14407Alzheimer’s Association.Taking care of yourself.Alzheimer’s Association.Overcoming stigma.Christiansen CH, Bass J, Baum CM.Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. Taylor & Francis; 2024.New York State Occupational Therapy Association.Alzheimer’s disease: how occupational therapy can utilize procedural memory as an intervention.
Dixon E, Piper AM, Lazar A.“Taking care of myself as long as i can”: how people with dementia configure self-management systems.Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst. 2021;2021:656. doi:10.1145%2F3411764.3445225
Mistridis P, Mata J, Neuner-Jehle S, et al.Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protective factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14407. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14407
Alzheimer’s Association.Taking care of yourself.
Alzheimer’s Association.Overcoming stigma.
Christiansen CH, Bass J, Baum CM.Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. Taylor & Francis; 2024.
New York State Occupational Therapy Association.Alzheimer’s disease: how occupational therapy can utilize procedural memory as an intervention.
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