As the disease progresses, so will the memory lapses. It will soon be evident to most that your loved one is suffering from a form of dementia. You will notice that she or he will have a hard time finding the right words to use and names oftentimes present a problem. Your loved one may begin to dread social setting and become introvert and refuse a great many initiations. This may be rather irritating to you, and you may feel like your loved one is shying away from you. Please remember that she or he is living in a state of acute fear of embarrassment right now, and withdrawing from you has nothing to do with her or his refusal to spend time with you. Be gentle with your loved one and feel free to voice your own feelings. Come up with solutions to keep your loved one comfortable in social settings, such as keeping gatherings small.

Over time, you will also notice that simple activities, such as grocery shopping or paying bills, will become almost impossible for your loved one. While in the beginning you may not mind doing these chores in addition to your own, after a while this burden may become a heavy one indeed. Rather than allowing yourself to get worn down by the added responsibilities, this is a good time to voice your need for help to your other loved ones so everyone can chip in. This is also a good time to discuss your loved one’s health plans with her or him to see if these plans cover nursing aides who could come in and do some light housekeeping.

As the severity of the disease increases, so will be the severity of the loss of function. Your loved one will now need help with toileting, feeding, and other very basic tasks. At this time you will probably need help from a home health agency. It is not unusual for your loved one to become hostile or express extreme fear or suspicion against you. While this is a normal progression of the disease, it is not easy to cope with this change in behavior, and you will need to get help yourself to deal with your own frustrations, anger, and sadness. Support groups for caregivers are a wonderful opportunity to vent, get help, and bond with others who are in the same boat as you are. Find such as group by contacting your local social services department or by speaking to a hospital in your area.

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