| Having spent my career as a Medical Social Worker | | | | often foggy, half open, closed or completely clear. |
| and Elder Abuse Investigator it seems natural for me | | | | There is no timetable that will report what is going on |
| to share some insight for those family members and | | | | inside the window. The foggy window represents the |
| caregivers working with victims of Alzheimer's | | | | normal goings on with the early or mid-stage person |
| disease. I will not take a Physiological and | | | | with Alzheimer's. The half-open state is the obvious |
| Psychological approach for delivering information. I will | | | | fluctuations between clarity and confusion. It is during |
| leave that to Physicians and Therapists. What I would | | | | this phase that most agitation, suspicion, aggression |
| like to share is some practical information that has | | | | and fear are displayed. This is the most difficult time |
| proven helpful to my clients and their families and | | | | for the caregiver and the most emotionally painful for |
| caregivers. First of all, I will say that being with a | | | | the person being cared for. The closed or end-stage |
| loved one or patient with Alzheimer's type dementia | | | | is the most painful for the caregiver. The person |
| is difficult if not heartbreaking. Seeing a person often | | | | behind the window is no longer home and often |
| familiar or most dear in an abyss of memory loss | | | | recognizes no one or nothing around him or her. |
| takes determination and strength. The greatest | | | | Activity in the affected brain is erratic and therefore |
| barrier to appropriate care is accepting the | | | | there are often periods of clarity, comprehension |
| relationship must change and must become flexible. It | | | | with appropriate behaviors and responses. Knowing |
| is the burden of the caregiver to initiate these | | | | how to respond to these changes can reduce the |
| changes in order to provide safe and loving care. The | | | | burden of care, increase the safety of the cared for |
| nature of this illness fluctuates and the direct | | | | and bring some peace of mind and acceptance for |
| caregiver would benefit from being able to do the | | | | the caregiver. In my next article I will address some |
| same, emotionally and practically. Visualize the mind of | | | | basic strategies for coping with and managing the |
| the patient or loved one as a window. The window is | | | | phases described above. |