Bath Time For Your Alzheimer's Patient. Controlling Your Hunger And Losing Weight Using Meal Replacement Powders And Bars.
If your loved one refuses to take her bath or shower, this might be a clue that something is bothering her. It may be embarrassment. Remember that your loved one used to do all these things alone before she had Alzheimer's and now she has to depend on another person. It is very frustrating. You may have to limit bath time. Approach the situation one step at a time in a non-threatening manner. While you help your loved one undress, use a smooth calming voice. As you bathe her, you can talk about old memories you used to share. It will make the process more enjoyable and pleasant for both of you.
If this does not work and your loved one still resists your help, then you might need try again later. When people with Alzheimer's do not like to bathe, it often stems from fear. Make sure the lighting in the bathroom is adequate for your loved one to see. If she cannot see well, her fear will increase. Let the shower or bath run for a while to warm up the room. It will make it more comfortable. No one likes to undress in a cold room. If your loved one is using a shower, you might want to put a chair in it so she can sit down. You can purchase one of those at a medical supply store or drug store. Use a hand held shower head. This will take the water up to her level and will be less threatening.
Music is a good way to help as well. It can be good therapy. Studies have shown that some Alzheimer's patients react very well to music. They may feel less stress. Music can decrease emotions of agitation or aggressive behavior. You can play soft music; add some fragrance in the bathroom. It will make it more inviting. You can try to use the same rituals your loved one used before when taking a bath or a shower. Routine is extremely important for persons with Alzheimer's.
If you feel there is still tension and resistance, you can always choose another option. You can hire some professional help just for the bathing time. If you decide to get someone to help you, make sure that person has experience with Alzheimer's disease and knows how to handle patients with dementia. You can hire someone on your own or go through an agency. They have qualified people and will be able to assist you in this situation. Sometimes, the individual with dementia will respond better to a third party rather than a family member. Put yourself in her shoes, it can be really embarrassing having someone from your family bathe you. A disinterested, but gentle, third party may help greatly.
The main thing is to handle bath time in a loving manner. Your loved one will appreciate it and it will lower her stress level, as well as yours.
About The Author
William G. Hammond, JD is a nationally known elder law attorney and founder of The Alzheimer's Resource Center. He is a frequent guest on radio and television and has developed innovative solutions to guide families who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's. For more information you can visit his website at www.BeatAlzheimers.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
The market is flooded with weight loss supplements that make weight loss look like an easy thing. You see a perfect bodied young man or woman giving credit to this pill or that pill. I believe there are some merits to some of the weight loss pills on the market but this article is about using supplements in a different way.
I am not going to talk about taking a pill to lose weight but about using supplements to control your hunger. The supplements I am speaking of are Meal replacement powders (MRP's) and meal replacement bars. These are sometimes referred to as protein powder, protein shakes, diet shakes, diet bars, protein bars, food bars, food shakes, low carb bars, low carb shakes and the list goes on and on. What these supplements were originally designed for was as a meal replacement. Usually you replace a meal or two a day with one of these delicious meal replacement powders or meal replacement bars and then you eat sensibly the rest of the day.
The problem I see with this plan is that it does not control your hunger and then you end up making bad choices for your meals and snacks. I do really well with my eating choices until I become too hungry; at this point I will usually eat anything that gets in my path.
I have found that I can control my hunger by using a nutritionally packed meal replacement shake or meal replacement bar. (A word of caution; I am speaking of high quality meal replacement shakes or meal replacement bars, not sugar packed candy bars stuffed with a few vitamins and then marked up in price and sold as an energy bar.
As I said before, I get very hungry and then make bad choices. I typically eat every three hours, so I must be very careful about my choices. By eating a meal replacement bar or drinking an MRP, I can control my hunger for those three hours. I am not suggesting that you eat every three hours. That just happens to be my natural schedule. If I make bad choices every three hours you can imagine what the outcome might be. When I sit down to eat a meal, I am usually just three hours past a meal replacement powder and not overly hungry. This means that I can eat until comfortable and sometimes even eat cheat foods.
If you are the type of person that eats "three squares" a day then you might want to use your meal replacement powders in the following way:
Breakfast: Meal replacement powder or Meal replacement bar
Lunch: Meal replacement powder or Meal replacement bar
Dinner: Sensible dinner with plenty of fresh vegetables.
If you are like me, and eat about every three hours try this:
Breakfast: Meal replacement powder or Meal replacement bar
Snack: Half a meal replacement bar
Lunch: Sensible lunch with plenty of fresh vegetables
Snack: the other half of the meal replacement bar or shake.
Dinner: Sensible dinner with plenty of fresh vegetables.
If you are the type of person whose weakness is snacking then try carrying a meal replacement bar and taking a bite of it every now and then when the urge for a snack hits you.
Meal replacement powders are extremely portable. Find a shaker cup and a water fountain and you have the perfect meal in seconds! I take two shakes with me to work and very rarely travel in my car without a meal replacement bar.
Shop around to find the perfect meal replacement bar or shake for you. I suggest purchasing small quantities and experiment with the tastes before you order large amounts. Some simply do not taste well at all.
Meal replacement bars and shakes can be very cost effective when you compare them to the cost of eating out.
I wish you the best of health!
Bill Herren
Bill Herren is the webmaster for weightloss-articles.com Everything weight loss related! Weight loss success stories, product reviews, exercise articles, weight loss recipes, and diet articles. All Free and all designed to help you lose weight!
http://www.weightloss-articles.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
OTHER INTERESTING POSTS
Innovate Today for Great Leaps Forward Tomorrow
How to Find Good Web Hosting for Your Site!
A Crash Course in Tarot #3: Card Spreads
Time Management Doesn't Exist! So What Can You Do?
Apotheosis - the Seminal Insight of the Hero for Screenwriting
What Does It Take To Succeed Online?
Save Time and Money by Drop-Shipping: Prepared Lists Really Help
I Have A Secret to Share
Online Promotion: 10 Ways To Use Focus Groups To Ignite Your Profits
Counteroffers: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
