Page 105 - Dementia-Care-Specialist-Toolkit

YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH

You may be busy caring for the person with Alzheimer’s disease and don’t take time to
think about your emotional health. But, you need to. Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s
takes a lot of time and effort. Sometimes, you may feel discouraged, sad, lonely,
frustrated, confused, or angry. These feelings are normal.

Here are some things you can say to yourself that might help you feel better:

• • I’m doing the best I can.
• What I’m doing would be hard for anyone.

• I’m not perfect, but that’s okay.
• I can’t control some things that happen.
• Sometimes, I just need to do what works for right now.

• Even when I do everything I can think of, the person with Alzheimer’s will still
have problem behaviors because of the illness, not because of what I do.

• I will enjoy the moments when we can be together in peace.
• I will try to get help from a counselor if caregiving becomes too much for me.

MEETINGYOUR SPIRITUAL NEEDS

As the caregiver of a person with Alzheimer’s, you may need more spiritual resources
than others do. Meeting your spiritual needs can help you cope better as a caregiver
and find a sense of balance and peace. Some people like to be involved with others as
part of a faith community, such as a church, temple, or mosque. For others, simply
having a sense that larger forces are at work in the world helps meet their spiritual
needs.

Information adapted from the NationalInstituteonAging, partoftheNationalInstitutesofHealth www.nia.nih.gov
Reviewed by Alzheimer’s LA January 2016 | NIH July 2012

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