That's the question we asked thousands of Alzheimer's caregivers. Here's what some senior care professionals had to say. "I'm a nurse and have worked with people with Alzheimer's and other dementias in a long term care facility for 30 years. In my experience there is a mix of emotions the residents go through throughout the course of their day. Fortunately it appears to me that the bad times are forgotten quickly as well as the good. If they are approached in an upbeat, positive manner they will usually join right in with most anything you want them to do. And it has been my experience that as the disease progresses, the episodes of fear, agitation, anger, etc. lessen in intensity and frequency. The key is the people around them, be it family, caregivers, or staff in a facility be well learned and have the tools and skills to aide them through their journey." - Jean "The people I have dealt with were not too happy. They know when they forget. Sad when they wet the bed, pants. They know they are changing. They are not the same anymore." - Alexandra "There is no single answer to this question -- as with any other aspect of human experience. People respond differently to environmental inputs and stressors; plus dementia is a progressive disease so that awareness, powers of self-observation, and emotional range are continuously evolving." - Bruce Join the dialogue by subscribing to the Alzheimer's Reflections newsletter . |