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Tips for the Holidays when someone has Alzheimer’s

12/05Leave a Comment

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Tips for the Holidays

A few Tips for the Holiday from the Alzheimer’s Association

The person with Alzheimer’s doesn’t always have a joyful experience when the Holiday Season arrives. They view flashing lights, bustling crowds and a noisy shopping mall with fear. Large parties with lots of people can be frightening.

The Alzheimer’s Association presents the “Lunch and Learn” program in many cities to help those with family members who have Alzheimer’s dementia or other memory loss issues to cope during this time of year.

If you have a loved one who has dementia, here are a few hints and tips for a happier holiday season from one of the Alzheimer’s Association‘s programs in Illinois.

Alzheimer’s Association program tips for surviving the holiday season –Quincy Herald Whig

“The program addresses the feelings, challenges, expectations and exhaustion brought on by the traditional celebration of the holidays,” said Janet Veach of the Central Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Veach goes on to say…

“If the person is in the middle or late stages of Alzheimer’s, there might be significant changes in cognitive abilities since the last time an out-of-town friend or relative visited. ”

“These changes can be hard to accept,” Veach said. “Make sure visitors understand that changes in behavior and memory are caused by the disease and not the person. You may find this easier to share changes in a letter or e-mail that can be sent to multiple recipients ahead of time.”

Allow family and friends to know ahead of time that the person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation helps everyone feel more at ease.

One of the first things my brother noticed about Mom, long before she was diagnosed, was that she couldn’t follow a conversation. At a family gathering, he had tried and tried to have a conversation with her. Yet, it soon became obvious that she did not understand what he was saying.

Since Mom was thinking much slower than my brother was speaking, it was difficult for her, with dementia, to keep up with a casual conversation.

If you know someone has Alzheimer’s or dementia and is a little slower at comprehending speech, you might slow your pace while having a conversation. The person with dementia may listen and converse quite well if you slow the conversation.

On the other hand, if you rush to finish their sentences for them, the memory impaired person may feel that they’re being treated like a child. It’s much better to be patient, and allow them time to find the right words to listen and to speak.

“Building on past traditions and memories can be important at this time of the year”, Veach said. “Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia,” she said. “Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums. Involve the person in holiday preparation.“

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Engage and support the elderly with advanced neurological conditions like Brain stroke, TIA, Alzheimer, Dementia, Aphasia…. 

There are so many things the person with Alzheimer’s  can still do for many years. They may be slower, as with conversations, but with patience they may still be a valued and active member of your family for many years to come.

<< If an older tradition no longer works well for your family, create a new traditions that includes your loved one! >>

A new and exciting support tool for those with early dementia is the ECHO from Amazon. I wish my Mom had had this tool. She forgot how to operate her television at an early stage and changing channels for her became a constant. Their are many many other things the Echo can do for you. Turn lights on and off, answer the phone, etc. I heard one gentlemen with Parkinson’s say that it had improved his speech. Since the Echo obeys verbal commands, he was forced to be more precise with his words.

  • Plays all your music from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more using just your voice
  • Fills the room with immersive, 360º omni-directional audio
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  • Hears you from across the room with far-field voice recognition, even while music is playing
  • Answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, and more using the Alexa Voice Service
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Filed Under: Care Tips, The Caregiver Tagged With: conversation, dementia holidays, dementia noise, fear, holiday, noise

Mom’s Mirror Image Collides with Self Recognition with Dementia

05/259 Comments

Self Recognition with  dementia and Mom’s Mirror Image Collide

I hadn’t even realized that Mom was losing her own self recognition with dementia. My Mom often remarked that she was frightened by the “Old Woman” who constantly followed her but I had no idea who that woman might be.

For a long time, I thought it was an hallucination. But one day, as I stood beside Mom in front of  the mirror, she pointed to her own reflection and said, “There she is. That’s the Old Woman!  She’s scarey and she follows me every where.”

I was so taken aback that I didn’t know what to say. My Mom no longer recognized her own reflection. I put my arms around her in the only comfort I knew to offer, and told her that I would be sure the old woman never hurt her.

“She was only trying to make friends with you,” I explained.  Those words soothed Mom for the moment and that became my constant response to Mom’s fear of the old woman who followed her. It worked!

No matter  how silly it may seem, if it works–do it! Sometimes we only need to accept their fears, and find a resolution. We may never know how they’re really feeling.

I must add. Now that I’m in early Alzheimer’s myself, I watch my daughter repeating the things I told Mom.  I’m so happy she was watching those years ago.  

By late stage Alzheimer’s, my Mom’s eyes seemed fearful and worried most of the time, as though suddenly unsure of herself and the world around her.

As holidays near, it reminds me of her great discomfort in crowds or large groups. Please keep your loved ones feelings in-mind if planning parties or reunions or large get-togethers.

By middle stage Alzheimer’s, the patient is totally guarded and uneasy in large crowds with lots of chatter around them. It seems that the words come quicker than they are able to decipher and it leaves their mind in a twirl of confusion.

Keep your loved one in-mind as you plan the holiday festivities!

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Filed Under: LATE STAGE, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: doesn't recognize self, fear, mirror, mirror image, sadness, self-recognition, sorrow

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