The Alzheimer's Digest: Managing Stress While Caring For A Loved One With Alzheimer's

Create a calm and soothing environment
The environment and atmosphere you create while caregiving can play a large part in helping an Alzheimer’s patient feel calm and safe.

Modify the environment to reduce potential stressors that can create agitation and disorientation in the Alzheimer’s patient. These include loud or unidentifiable noises, shadowy lighting, mirrors or other reflecting surfaces, garish or highly contrasting colors, and patterned wallpaper.
Maintain calm within yourself. Getting anxious or upset in response to problem behavior can increase the patient’s stress or agitation. Respond to the emotion being communicated by the behavior, not the behavior itself. Try to remain flexible, patient, and relaxed. If you find yourself becoming anxious or losing control, take a time out to cool down.

Manage stress in an Alzheimer’s patient

Different stress-reducing techniques work better for some Alzheimer’s patients than others, so you may need to experiment to find the ones that best help your loved one.

Exercise is one of the best stress-relievers for both the Alzheimer’s patient and you, the caregiver. Consult with your loved one’s physician to make sure it’s safe to participate in light exercise. Regular walking, movement, or seated exercises can have a positive effect on many problem behaviors, such as aggression, wandering, and difficulty sleeping. Indoor shopping malls are vast walking opportunities protected from the weather. Or you may even consider singing and dancing.
Simple activities can be a way for the patient to reconnect with their earlier life. Someone who used to enjoy cooking, for example, may still gain pleasure from the simple chore of washing vegetables for dinner. Try to involve the person in as many productive daily activities as possible. Folding laundry, watering plants, or going for a drive in the country can all help to manage stress.
Remembering the past may also help soothe the Alzheimer’s patient. Even if your loved one can’t remember what happened a few minutes ago, he or she may still clearly recall things from decades ago. Try asking general questions about the person’s distant past.
Use calming music or play the person’s favorite type of music as a way to relax them when agitated. Music therapy can also help soothe the person during mealtimes and bath times, making the processes easier for both of you.
Interacting with other people is still important. While large groups of strangers may only increase stress levels for an Alzheimer’s patient, spending time with different people in one-on-one situations can help to increase physical and social activity.
Pets can provide a source of positive, nonverbal communication. The playful interaction and gentle touch from a well-trained, docile animal can help soothe an Alzheimer’s patient and decrease aggressive behavior. If you don’t have a pet of your own, see Resources section below for organizations that offer pet visits.

Take time to connect with the Alzheimer's patient

Taking the time to really connect with the person you’re caring for can release hormones that boost the patient’s mood and reduce stress. And it can have the same effect on you, too.

Even if the person you’re caring for can no longer communicate verbally, it’s important to take a short time when you’re at your calmest to focus fully on him or her. Avoid all distractions—such as the TV, cell phone, and computer—make eye contact (if that’s possible), hold the person’s hand or stroke his or her cheek, and talk in a calm, reassuring tone of voice. When you connect in this way, you’ll both experience a process that lowers stress and supports well-being.