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The Toll of Caring for a Spouse with Dementia

Memory loss and brain aging due to dementia and alzheimer's disease as a medical icon of a group of color changing autumn fall trees shaped as a human head losing leaves as intelligence function on a white background.If you are looking after someone with dementia then you will understand how difficult it can be to make sure that they are comfortable and calm as much as possible. The problem is that this can take a toll on you emotionally and physically and this is something that a lot of people don’t take into account.

Additional Stress
Giving someone care is stressful. Studies show that those who look after dementia patients get incredibly stressed at times and when you need to manage your home and family as well, you can already start to see how this could become an issue. A lot of spousal caregivers are seniors themselves so they may have their own personal health issues to take care of as well.

Finances
Caring for someone with dementia can be expensive. You may need to pay out for special aids and you will also find that you need to devote more time to them in general. This means that you may need to hire people to mow the lawn and walk the dog because you can’t really leave your spouse alone in the house on their own and on top of this, you wouldn’t want to either because you are their primary carer.

Depressive Episodes
When you care for someone who has dementia you may also go through depression yourself. Seeing your loved one deteriorate over time can be heartbreaking and just when you think that they are making progress, they take two steps back. This can lead to depression for both you and your patient and this can make things even more difficult because you may experience low energy and a general sense of being worn out.
If you are looking after someone who has dementia then make sure that you get the help and support you need from your friends, family and local support workers.