Commonwealth Senior Living at Gloucester House has put together 10 tips for caregivers of senior citizens in the Gloucester community.

Millions of Americans have been assisting senior citizen loved ones over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes caring for those ones with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Recent data from AARP shows that this level of assistance is starting to have a financial, mental, and physical impact on caregivers. Commonwealth Senior Living has put together this tip sheet so that caregivers in the Gloucester community can understand how they can prioritize themselves and their loved ones.

Tips for caregivers

—Set realistic and attainable goals: Decide what you can and can’t do. Move at your loved one’s pace and accept success at 80 percent.

—Focus on clear communication: Reduce any extraneous noise (turn off radio, TV, etc.). Do not use pronouns but rather names and specific titles.

—Remember all behavior has a...