Alzheimer's Disease -Strategies for Effective Caregiving

Caregiver Tips

Strategies for Effective Caregiving

Remember that effective caregiving takes:
- Knowledge of Alzheimer's disease, people, human behavior.
- Skill in interpersonal relations and with caregiving techniques.
- Flexibility in routine and approaches. What works today may fail tomorrow. What works with one person may not with someone else.
- An attitude of hopeful but realistic expectation.
Focus on the positive, healthy qualities of the care recipient.
Identify, emphasize, and build on remaining abilities.
Praise small successes.
Encourage independence instead of taking over.
Respect the care recipient's dignity, privacy, and individuality.
Look for the meaning and purpose behind behavior.
Set as a daily goal, to obtain the cooperation of the care recipient.
Build trust and a sense of competence in the care recipient.
Search for, and build on, the care recipient‘s remaining abilities:
- Emotional capacity - The ability to experience fear, joy, excitement, pride, anxiety, sorrow, shame, and sympathy. The expression of these emotions may differ from the caregiver's expectations.
- Awareness of the environment - Even if not fully comprehended.
- Social capacities - Ability to respond and show concern for others.
- Ability to communicate - If not through words, by facial expression, gestures, and body language.
- Ability to make logical connections - What may seem irrational to the caregiver may be logically connected to the person's perceptions.
Caregivers have many roles:
- Observer - Pay attention to the care recipient and the environment.
- Learner - Ask questions, learn about the person's interests and background, read, ask others for suggestions and feedback, listen.
- Care Partner - Partner with the care recipient and other people involved in the person's care, including other family members, professional care providers, and healthcare professionals.
  - Keep lines of communication open.
  - Share meaningful information.
  - Provide support to other caregivers as needed.
  - Share ideas and approaches. Try to meet regularly and brainstorm with other caregivers.

Last modified 07/15/2009