Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can be painful for both the person experiencing it and the person’s loved ones.

While there are treatments to slow the process of dementia, there is no cure for the disease. This can leave patients and their loved ones feeling helpless — almost waiting in expectation for the worst.

Depending on the stage of the disease, some of the symptoms can include: personality changes (anger, anxiety, depression, etc.); changes in sleep habits; physical or verbal outbursts; and delusions or hallucinations.

Memory loss is a serious situation, but it is certainly not a hopeless one.

Every day, doctors are working to find better treatments or cures for dementia, and every dollar donated to research is pushing toward the goal of finding a cure.

There are resources in the area to help a patient cope with behavioral side effects and to help loved ones learn to cope with the changes. From eastern North Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Association and medical resources through Vidant Health, to participating in local fundraisers, such as Saturday’s Making Memories dinner or October’s Alzheimer’s Walk, there are ways to combat what is happening.

The national Alzheimer’s Association also offers some tips for coping as a caregiver:

• Monitoring comfort by checking for pain, hunger, thirst, constipation, full bladder, fatigue, etc.
• Not arguing about facts. If a patient is speaking about a deceased person in the present, try not to correct them.
• Redirecting the patient’s attention and trying not to respond to the behavior.
• Creating an environment without noise or disturbances.
• Allowing plenty of rest.
• Responding to requests.
• Looking for reasons behind behaviors.
• Exploring different solutions.
• Sharing experiences with others and not taking the behavior personally.

There is hope for people struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia. By continuing to play a part in combating the disease, finding a cure becomes a more reachable goal.