What Are the Signs Your Senior Might be Struggling with Anosognosia?
Anosognosia with Alzheimer’s disease can be a frustrating and frightening thing for you as a family caregiver. Impacting more than 46 percent of those in the mild to moderate stages of the disease, and up to 91 percent of those in the moderate to advanced stages of the disease, anosognosia is a lack of insight and awareness that makes it impossible for them to accurately perceive that they have Alzheimer’s disease, and recognize the changes and limitations that have occurred as a result of it. This means they are not able to understand why they need care or assistance, and can even become angry or resentful when you attempt to care for them.
Home Care Services Bernardsville NJ – What Are the Signs Your Senior Might be Struggling with Anosognosia?
By recognizing and acknowledging when your parent is struggling with this condition you can better gauge their functioning, modify your care efforts and adjust your approach to your parent to maximize the benefits of care, and reduce the chance of negative response.
Some signs your senior might be struggling with anosognosia with Alzheimer’s disease include:
- No longer keeping up with regular tasks, and not seeming to notice that they have not done important things, such as showering or changing their clothing.
- Exhibiting new difficulty with money or paying bills, but not acknowledging this difficulty, or recognizing that they have it. For example, they may not pay their electric bill and then not understand why the service was cut off, or they may write a huge check and then not understand why their bank account is overdrawn.
- Becoming less inhibited when they are talking, and saying inappropriate things, but not knowing what they said is inappropriate.
- Becoming confused when you or a home care services provider arrives to care for them, and not understanding why you want to help them with certain tasks.
- Getting angry and defensive when you bring to their attention that they haven’t done something or that they have done something incorrectly.
- Making up elaborate excuses for why they have or have not done something, or for their behaviors.
When you learn your aging parent is living with Alzheimer’s disease, you will immediately be faced with difficult, but vital, decisions. One of the most meaningful you can make for them is to start home care services. Having the customized services of a home care services provider as a part of your care routine from as early in the progression as possible can be a valuable step in supporting your parent’s quality of life, as well as their health.
Home care services such as help with activities of daily living, assistance with housekeeping, medication reminders, meal preparation, transportation, companionship, and more allow your parent to manage their Alzheimer’s challenges and say safe and healthy while also encouraging them to maintain as much independence as they can throughout their progression with the disease.
Source: https://www.laurawayman.com/blog/the-top-warning-signs-of-anosognosia
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Care Services in Bernardsville NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.
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