Other medications help manage the agitation that is a difficult part of Alzheimer’s. For agitation, there are two approaches – non-drug and prescription medications.
Prescription drugs that help agitation include antidepressants for mood and irritability, anxiolytics for anxiety, restlessness, verbally disruptive behavior and resistance and antipsychotic medications for hallucinations, delusions, aggression, hostility and uncooperativeness. Learn about them so you can ask the right questions.
Be sure to let the physician know if you are interested in clinical trials that come up. The internet, too, is a great source for tracking clinical trials. Researching them can be empowering. The need we have to do something is strong. Being proactive helps satisfy that need, and salves the nagging feeling of helplessness that plagues all of us as we trudge this long road.
5. Educate yourself about non-drug interventions which include identifying the behavior and understanding its cause and then adapting the caregiving environment to change the situation.
An unfamiliar environment can lead to agitation in many Alzheimer’s patients. This leads to many hard choices when families have to decide how to handle holidays and other occasions. How do you include the Alzheimer’s patient without adding to his or her agitation? Each person is different and each occasion is different. Talk with doctors and social workers – the network you will establish – when you are in a quandary (which will be quite often). Support helps. Listen to other caregivers and ask how they handle Christmas celebrations or a grandchild’s graduation. Learn about message boards for reminders. Learn about stress reduction for your parents and yourself. Use the list of resources you are making now. Refer to it often and dig deeper into the Web sites and literature as you absorb the diagnosis. Other caregivers will be some of your best resources.
6. Make a long-term plan of action for treatment and care.
If your parents haven’t already done the legal and health care planning which we all should do, such as having a Will, a Durable Power of Attorney and one for health care drawn up, be sure to get this handled as soon as possible. This is vital, since your mom is already starting to lose the ability to make decisions for herself. While you are on the subject, make sure your dad has done this, as well.
