Alzheimer’s: How It Affects Both The Patient and The Caregiver

The focal point of the article online was about the unpaid caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s. Most of these are family members of the patient, often being the spouse. There are nearly 5.7 million patients in America suffering with this disease, which also increases the number of unpaid caregivers as well. The number has reached an estimated 16 million and is still on the rise. Because of the substantially high statistics, the article also highlights the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Given that there is known cure for this disease, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is doing its best to combat the effects for both patients and caregivers. They travel around the country holding tours to not only educate people, but to give tips and help you learn how to properly care for an affected patient. The AFA also promotes support groups for caregivers, as caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can cause serious emotional problems. Both in-person and telephone support groups are options, as it can be very difficult for caretakers to go out of the house by themselves or find temporary care for their loved one. A specific support group mentioned in the text was started by Vicki Bartholomew, which is for wives of husbands with Alzheimer’s. They hold meetings at a memory care center called Abe’s Garden, where some of their husbands are patients at (Farmer, 2018).

The Revel Textbook covers all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease both in patients and caregivers. The book describes the trajectory and course of the disease, the risk factors that make you more prone to developing Alzheimer’s, scientific description of the deterioration of the brain, factors that can help protect you from it, and information on how to help victims of this disease along with their caregivers. The textbook goes further in-depth on its information for caretakers and patients, more so with the intervention of caretakers about their patients. The textbook gives knowledge on how to improve the well-being of caretakers, coping strategies for them, skills for caregivers, information on respite (which can be defined as rest from work), and different intervention program options for them (Berk, 2018).

A point of connection between the article and the textbook is the information they both give of the struggles that caregivers of Alzheimer’s have. With the constant care they have to give their loved one, it can get very tiring both physically and mentally. That is why it is very important for caretakers to have respite, at least twice a week (Berk, 2018). Another point of connection is both the article and textbook reference the significance of support groups for caretakers. They can be much more prone to depression or just mental exhaustion, so having a group to lean on in these trying times can only be positive. The Revel textbook I found to be much more intensive and in-depth, understandably. It describes how and why Alzheimer’s happens on the first place, including all of the science behind it involving the brain. However, the article online did provide information about the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and the national tours that are provided that are not mentioned in the book. There was no information that contradicted each other between the article and the textbook, and all of the statistics matched up as well.

Both sources focus on the impacts having a family member with Alzheimer’s can have, specifically being a caretaker of one. For both families and individuals, it can be a very stressful and confusing time. Specifically, for a caretaker, it can cause them to feel resentment about being a caretaker in the first place (Berk, 2018), or they could just have other negative thoughts in general. A caregiver could become overwhelmed, as that can easily happen while trying to tend to a loved one. It can completely consume you, so it is important to separate yourself from the overload from time to time (Farmer, 2018). For families, it could either bring them closer and help them bond or create a wedge between them. It is important for both families to develop coping strategies because of this. The impact on both a family and an individual of a loved one with Alzheimer’s likely to be negative, as in serious cases, many people may feel like they are suffering an ambiguous loss, which can make matters even more emotionally confusing. These more drastic and serious feelings will be delayed, as they will take a little longer to develop in a person, and because their loved one’s memory will slowly deteriorate, and not all at once.

References

1. Farmer, B. (2018, July 6). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/06/621110042/ - Topic 4A_Family Caregivers and Alzheimer's (Farmer, 2018).pdf
2. Berk, L. E. (2018). Exploring lifespan development. Hoboken NJ: Pearson.