Caring for a family member showing signs of memory loss or experiencing mental illness is often more difficult than providing physical care. For example, doing a dressing change requires a few hours a day. In comparison, ensuring that a physically capable parent with Alzheimer’s does not wander into the nearby woods is a twenty-four-hour job. Furthermore, knowing what to say and how to say it to prevent making the situation worse takes skill, patience, and experience.

Many family caregivers must provide physical and mental care. Often a medical condition leads to depression or increases underlying anxiety. Sometimes threats of suicide are a concern. So what do you say if your loved one share that they don’t want to live any longer?

Medications frequently cause hallucinations or delusions in the elderly, especially at night. Do you accept whatever they say or attempt to correct them? A person experiencing a hallucination believes what they see is real as much as you believe you are seeing what you see now.

These situations are more than just difficult for caregivers. They are frightening and can be dangerous to the safety of the caregiver and family member if not handled correctly. “Interpersonal Skills” provides insights into some more common mental health conditions. In addition, you can find examples of ways to handle some of the more difficult interactions caregivers encounter.