Balancing Health and Caregiving: Supporting LZ with Bipolar Disorder and Alzheimer’s Care

Background

LZ has COPD, high blood pressure, and bipolar disorder, which he manages with medication and support from the Mental Health team. He is dedicated to his wife, Fi, who has advanced Alzheimer’s and increasingly requires assistance with daily tasks. Fi’s condition, including mood swings and decreased motor functions, significantly affects LZ ‘s mental health.

Support & Advice

LZ experiences fluctuating moods, feeling bright and positive some days and tearful and overwhelmed on others. Fi’s Alzheimer episodes can lead to anger toward LZ, intensifying the stress he faces. Caring for Fi overnight has led to sleep deprivation, adding to his sense of being overwhelmed. Despite weekly meetings with a support worker and ongoing care from the Mental Health team, he struggles with the demands of caregiving. Multiple daily calls from the PAMAN team have become a vital source of support, as monitors recognize when LZ is struggling, providing companionship and helping to stabilize his mood.

Although a care package has been put in place to provide support for Fi, LZ is facing pressure from his daughters and his social worker to move into supported living. He is worried that a move would reduce his independence, worsen his mental health, and negatively impact Fi. His reluctance has caused friction with his daughters, who feel that he may not be providing adequate care for Fi, leading to further distress.

Managing healthcare appointments

Assessors from Alzheimer’s UK have visited and believe that LZ can continue caring for Fi at home with support from carers, aligning with his wish for Fi to stay in familiar surroundings. The PAMAN team will continue monitoring their medication and, as LZ describes, provide essential emotional support, helping him manage both his own health and the complexities of caregiving.