Alzheimer’s is an interesting neurodegenerative disease in the sense that it not only affects the person that suffers from the disease, but it also affects their family members. Popularly coined as the “invisible second patients”, family member to are subjected to hard times upon the diagnosis of their loved ones.

Family members and caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients are often subjected to an extremely tough emotional rollercoaster when taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient, as stress and grief often pile up. It is a common feeling for someone caring for dementia patients to feel guilty for multiple reasons including being embarrassed by the affected person’s behavior, losing their temper or even wishing that they didn't have to take care of someone affected by dementia. While guilt is a common feeling for caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s, it is understandable, and it is also a much better feeling than being guilty for not spending time with a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s.

Spending time with, or being a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s can be incredibly difficult, as you may experience anger, frustration, guilt, and grief all within one visit, but something you may not know is that you could still be benefiting your loved one by visiting. In this week's blog post, we are going to discuss how your loved ones with Alzheimer's benefit from your visits.

Visiting Your Loved Ones With Alzheimer's

Before we start discussing the benefits that your loved ones with Alzheimer's may experience when you visit, we think it’s important that we define the word “visit”. When we say “visit” we don't necessarily mean when you go to an Alzheimer’s care facility to spend time with grandpa, although that is an acceptable definition, we also mean “visit” in the sense that you are simply having a personal interaction with someone affected by Alzheimer’s. These visits can occur when you travel to see a loved one with dementia across the country, or simply when you sit at the same table and eat breakfast together in the dining room of your home.

While visiting with someone who suffers from dementia can be both frustrating and emotional, it is important to remember how beneficial that it can be to your loved one. In a recent survey, over 40 percent of people stated that they didn’t see the point in staying in contact with a family member that is experiencing an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s. At HomeCARE furniture by ComforTek, it pains us to see statistics like that, because we are all about keeping families together in sickness, but we do understand why someone may feel that way. People often believe that people with advanced forms of dementia can't remember anything, but they can remember broad details, just not the descriptive details. Below, we have compiled a short list of reasons why it is important to visit a loved one that is affected by late-stages of dementia like Alzheimer's.

• They may still recognize you. Often the hardest thing for family members or caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients is that they believe that they have been forgotten, and yes, while the affected person may not be able to articulate that they recognize you, a small part of them often still does.
• One of the hardest things for a family member of someone affected by Alzheimer's is when the affected person forgets your relationship. No son or daughter ever wants their parent to forget their bond, but there is still a way to support them even if they can't remember who is supporting them. While they may forget your relationship, there is a good chance that they will remember how often you visit, assembling some sense of the relationship that you have.
• They may not remember you, but they can still enjoy your visits. While grandma might not remember that you are her grandchild, you can still help her by putting a smile on her face.  Socializing can put them in a better mood.
• While they may not remember past events, they may remember how the events made them feel. While the memories are gone, you can remind your loved one of their past and give them the opportunity to reminisce.
• It can also be good for you too. Emotionally, you will feel better knowing that you helped put your loved one in a better mood.

Yes, visiting a loved one with Alzheimer's can be a frustrating experience, but it can also be extremely beneficial to both you and your loved one. At HomeCARE furniture by ComforTek, we believe that family is important, and spending time with family is even more important. Sometimes spending time with a dementia patient can be difficult due to their mobility issues caused by the debilitating disease, so that's why we developed the the Next Chapter mobility chair collection. Below, we are going to discuss a few of our products, and how they may be able to make visiting your loved one with Alzheimer’s a little less frustrating.

HomeCARE Furniture by Comfortek Mobility Equipment

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s during a visit can be difficult, that is why we have created mobility equipment for the elderly and those affected by diseases here at HomeCARE Furniture by ComforTek because we know how important spending time with your loved ones is. When you are spending time with your loved ones that are affected by dementia, you want everything to go smoothly, without a hitch, so that they may better benefit from the visit and have a better mood overall after the visit. Here is one of our products that may just help your visit go smoothly!

The Titan REZ 20”

While advanced stages of dementia can result in your loved one becoming wheelchair bound, they can usually maintain limited mobility until the late stages of Alzheimer’s. When your loved one has limited mobility, whether that be a walker or limited movement, it can be extremely hard to sit down in the dining room or kitchen table. This difficulty is created when the affected person has to pull the chair out to sit down, and then scoot in to reach the table. With the Titan REZ 20”, we have taken the difficulty out of sitting down at the table while living with a disability. The Titan REZ 20” is the best mobility chair that you never knew you needed, as the assisted movement feature allows your loved one to be turned to, and from, the table without standing up. Also, the Titan REZ 20” mobility assist lever that you can utilize to scoot your loved one into the table with ease. Our mobility chair also features bariatric support and non-marring floor casters, so that you can slide your loved one to the table while they are comfortable, without scratching the floor.

At HomeCARE furniture by ComforTek, we help families and friends spend time with their loved ones affected by disabilities by bringing you mobility equipment that takes away the normal stresses that could make visiting them harder. We take pride in knowing that we can help people suffering from disabilities like Alzheimer’s move around their homes more efficiently and more comfortably.