Alzheimers and Spouse

How to Cope with Your Spouse’s Memory Loss

Having a spouse with Alzheimer’s can be a devastatingly painful experience. They lose memories of the years you’ve spent together and the family that you created together.  They even lose memory of who you, which is probably one of the toughest parts to go through when having to live with your spouse with Alzheimer’s.  This disease is often referred to as the cancer of the soul, and to have to sit back and watch helplessly as your loved one dies little bit by little bit every day can be overwhelming.

Your spouse is probably experiencing fatigue ever day and the inability to do even the simplest of things that they used to do without having to think twice.  And because the disease can effect and change the physicality and mentality of your spouse, they are vulnerable to becoming isolated, hermetic, and withdrawn.  Giving them positive reinforcement everyday and showing them your undying compassion and love can help nurture and maintain their demeanor in a more positive state, warding off potential opportunities for them to withdraw into themselves.

Your spouse is also probably having difficulty functioning and getting around the house, becoming increasingly disoriented, confused, and lost.  Walk with them around the house to keep them familiar with the layout of your home, and try to keep them focused when you can sense that they are becoming confused.  Reassure them when they start asking questions and keep them talking as much as you can.  Keep them active, if possible, so that their body doesn’t lose strength and give out on them at random.

Alzheimer’s can also send your spouse into unpredictable fits of mood swings.  And these mood swings can greatly impact the quality of life for your spouse and induce unneeded stress.  Prolonged stress can even worsen the symptoms of your spouse’s Alzheimer’s.  Try to keep them as level headed and positive as possible, given the circumstances, and attempt to keep their levels of stress low as to not exacerbate their symptoms.  Do things with your spouse that you know they enjoy to keep them entertained and as happy as possible.

To help cope with your spouse’s worsening memory loss, encourage them to keep a book of notes around them always, filled with important dates, names, and details about the day.  It should also have a map marked with the location of your home, in case they leave the house without you, become disoriented, and can’t find their way back home.  Encourage your spouse to make daily to do lists, which will keep them active and help them remember how they prioritized their day.  Label your drawers and cupboards with pictures of the items inside so they can easily find what the need without becoming frustrated when they can’t find it, and place large printed, important phone numbers close to the phone in case of an emergency when you’re not there. Place reminders around the house near electrical appliances that remind your spouse to turn them off when they’re done.

Sarah Danielson is a writer for Medical Coding where you can brose medical coding schools and industry jobs.

Blogs:

A marriage robbed by Alzheimer’s

Early Alzheimer’s and a husband’s choice

Caregiving for Someone With Alzheimer’s