Trying to support an aging parent, spouse, or even close friend who has been dealing with Alzheimer’s is going to be a challenge, no matter your age or your close relationship with that individual. Anger and frustration are often the results of long-term elder care efforts, especially among family members and friends.

The person with Alzheimer’s understands what’s happening, for the most part, and this is especially true during the earlier stages of the disease’s progression. However, as things progress further, that awareness and that understanding can change.

It can lead a normally docile and kind individual to become belligerent, hostile, angry, curse and swear, threaten, throw things, be verbally and physically aggressive, and much more. It can overwhelm just about any family member, even a spouse of decades or an adult child who is spending his or her personal time supporting this individual.

There are many elder care options available for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. However, most families seem to rally around one another and take on this incredible challenge themselves.

Yet, when anger and frustration are getting the best of everyone, when those family caregivers find themselves under enormous stress, are snapping back at the person with Alzheimer’s, going home crying at something horrible that was said, and feeling like they are losing control, memory care assisted living is the option to consider.

This should be the option to consider from the start.

Most people and their family and friends, when they are first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, don’t see the extreme challenges that are coming around the corner. They see an individual who may need some reminders, a few gentle encouragements, prods, and nudges. Little more.

Yet, as the disease continues to erode memory and mental function, the frustration and confusion build. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night having no clue where you are. Most people have experienced this at least one time in their life, waking up from an intense dream in a hotel room, while visiting family, and looking around and having no recollection of where they are.

Yet, imagine that’s happening more and more frequently, but you are in a familiar place, perhaps the home you have lived in for 20, 40, or even 60 years.

Now, imagine that intense fear and anxiety pressing in on you, but it won’t let go. Eventually, that confusion and anxiety will result in some type of aggressive behavior, which is most commonly done out of self-preservation.

Memory care assisted living is perhaps the best option for men and women who have been diagnosed with any form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. The sooner they began settling into a memory care assisted living community, the more familiar and comfortable they will be during those later stages of the disease.

However, even if this wasn’t chosen at first and the person was diagnosed several years ago, it’s never too late. Just understand that anger and frustration isn’t just a challenge for family caregivers; it’s also a very real trial for the person struggling with this disease.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering a move to Assisted Living in Fountain Hills, AZ please contact the caring staff at MD Senior Living today. 480-267-9200