Holidays with Alzhimers Disease

Alzhimers

The holiday season is an opportunity to spend time with the people you love especially with who have Alzhimers. When someone you care deeply about has Alzhimers disease and you wish to include them in the festivities, it's often best to keep celebrations simple. Concentrate on enjoying the time you spend together. Don't feel that you need to maintain every family tradition or participate in every family event. Here are some suggestions to help you and your loved one with Alzhimers to have a safe and happy season together in spite of the obstacles.

In the midst of putting up decorations, rearranging furniture and putting up Christmas trees, the person with Alzhimers will do better in an environment that is as consistent as possible. Try not to move the furniture more than absolutely necessary, and watch for danger spots, like electrical cords or throw rugs that could cause a fall. Don't have candles burning in places that could easily be brushed up against with clothing. Avoid using blinking lights or decorations that look edible. Use your loved one's best-loved decorations to spark memories and increase their ability to enjoy the festivities. Play familiar Christmas songs, and fix traditional foods that Alzhimers patients will enjoy.
Have young children play in a separate room to keep noise levels down and avoid causing your loved one to feel horror or nervous. Alzhimers patients pick up on the moods of others around them, and the atmosphere needs to feel serene and peaceful for them to enjoy visitors. Have just a few guests at one time, and avoid large crowds of people. Name tags are very helpful and will keep your loved one from feeling frustrated and embarrassed when they can't remember people they should know. Have a quiet room that the Alzhimers patient is accustomed to in case they feel overwhelmed by too much noisy activity. If you notice signs of increased confusion or agitation, assist them to their quiet place to rest for a while.

Christmas stories from years gone by will help draw your loved one in and keep them involved in the celebration. It's much easier for people with Alzhimers Disease to remember things that happened long ago than something that happened yesterday, so recall! Try simple tasks to occupy the time, like frosting cookies, stamping envelopes for cards, or making simple junk. Look at catalogs together and help your special one to order gifts for people they care about. Take time to look at photo albums and talk about happy holiday times together. This could be just what Alzhimers patients need to reconnect and appreciate the holidays, creating more memories that you will hold dear for years to come.

Suggested gifts for Alzhimers Patients:-

1. the early stage of Alzhimers or related dementia include: simple games; tickets to a concert, musical, circus, or ball game; window shopping at a mall; taxi charge account for visits to friends; frozen, homemade meals; photo album or collage highlighting major events of the person’s life; fruit basket or flowers.
2. For the moderately impaired stage, the following gift ideas are suggested: simple to manage clothing; materials to sort; box of costume jewellery; basket of yarn or fabric; music, such as old songs and religious music; taped religious service; and short car trips to see Christmas lights.
3. Suggestions for the severely impaired stage include: recordings of old music; stuffed animals or lifelike baby doll; video tapes of soothing sights and sounds; hand/body lotions and massages; pet visits; memory books, and knee warmers.
As you can see, it need not cost a lot to give an Alzhimers patient a delightful gift. May you enjoy giving to your Alzhimers patient loved one this year, and may he or she find delight in simple gifts filled with love. I wish you all the best holiday season ever!
For reader’s information, there are many things Alzhimers patients can do to take care of themselves:
• Take stock of emotions, health, stamina, resources, time and priorities
• Make a list of "want to do" versus "can do"
• Make health a top priority (eat right, sleep well and laugh much)
• Seek help with holiday errands
• Shop with other people and limit shopping time
• Take time for naps, massages and quiet time (even just for a few minutes)
• Be careful with sharp objects like scissors and knives (patients who bleed easily)
• Avoid negative thoughts about what doesn't get done
• Let go of being a perfectionist
• Think of the holiday season as a joyful time
• Spend time with people who are loving and positive
• Exercise lightly
• Take it easy (pace themselves)

P/S: Sorry for interruption..look this video about Alzhimers Patients!



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The ways deal with Patient or a Parent with Alzhimers

Alzhimers

Watching a loved one suffer with Alzhimers can be an emotionally and physically daunting task. Alzhimers is a disease that causes significant and often swift brain deterioration normally in adults 65-70 years or older. Alzhimers is one of the most devastating and degrading diseases for anyone to have to deal with. It is hard on the individual who has been diagnosed with it, but it is also hard for family members and caregivers. Especially if the caregiver is very close to the diagnosed patient. Often times, it is a daughter or son taking care of their parents. When the patient is in the advanced stages of Alzhimers, it is extremely difficult for patient, caregiver, and also the whole family. If you suspect Alzhimers disease in a oved one, the following steps will give you some helpful tips in dealing with this disease.

The very first thing you should do is make an appointment for them with a neurologist. They will perform mental status tests, review family history, and perform a neurological exam that will bring about a proper diagnosis. They will more than likely, perform an MRI on the brain (brain image) as well. It is very important that you actually go into the doctor's office with your loved one. Your loved one will most likely forget what they are supposed to tell them. So, it's important you go in with them and make any necessary notes and make sure everything is discussed. Once a proper diagnosis is obtained, the neurologist will prescribe medication. Two very well-known medications are wise choices...those are "Aricept" and "Namenda." These medications will not reverse the condition, but will help stabilize it.

Once your loved one is on the proper medication, it is highly advised to start attending a support group for Alzhimers. For you AND your loved one. There are many, many support groups available. You can check with their doctor, and you can also do a search online. You also must never blame the person. It's common to not understand how someone can't remember what you've told them 15 times today. The best example I've heard is that the brain is like a broken extension cord. It works if it's laying a certain way. Move it and it shorts out and loses the electricity. Move it back and it works again. This is how the brain of an Alzhimers patient works.

If your loved one is just in the first stages of Alzhimers, it is advised to keep them as active as possible. Daily exercise helps keep the oxygen flowing to the brain. Word find and puzzle books also can help keep the brain active or you can buy the book "The 36 Hour Day" by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins. This is a MUST read for any care giver of someone with memory loss. By the way, if you are the care giver, then hire a professional care giver to come in once or twice a week to give you a break. Immediately see your doctor. There's medication to slow down the progression of Alzhimers. Be respectful of the patient when you take them. You may need to talk to the doctor in private before hand.

If you even slightly suspect this disease in your loved one, please don't hesitate and put it off. Take action and make that first step and make an appointment. That first step will play a huge part in making life better for you and your loved one.


from "Scrubs Movie - Alzhimers" ..don't make fun with alzhimers patient!


Follow these simple rules to make day to day life easier:

1. Label drawers and cabinets to help them find things easier.
2. Don't change things. Keep the decor, furniture location, etc. constant.
3. If something's bothering the person... fixes it! My Mom asks me if the clock was right 5 times in about 60 minutes. Finally I said "You know what it isn't right. What does your watch say?" She told me and I adjusted the clock by 2 minutes and said, "There you go. I fixed it for you. You were right it was off. Now it's right." She never asked me again.
4. Keep meals nutritious yet simple.
5. Don't have people over in large groups. Instead have smaller groups more often.
6. Reduce stress and anxiety. These things increase symptoms and repeatability.
7. Even though the roles may be reversed, NEVER forget they're still your parent. Always treat them with respect and love.
8. Plan activities like planting flowers, making necklaces, scrap booking, looking through photo albums, reading together, going to the zoo, etc.
9. Use a dry erase board to write the month, day, and year. You may want to also write key things to remember for the day like "Jimmy is coming to visit today" or "Oprah comes on at 2:00 today on channel 5". What ever you do keep it simple and short.

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How to Caution for a Loved One along with Alzhimers

Alzhimers

Caring for someone with Alzhimers is a complicated job. It can be overpowering, annoying and unsatisfactory. Your loved one's abilities will transform as the disease progresses. Her feelings can be impulsive and sometimes even aggressive. But she's still someone with needs. She needs your help, carry and feel affection for. You just need to be
• Endurance
• Sense of humor.
• Consideration.
• Rest, if you can get it.
• Support group.

Firstly, change the way you be in touch with him as the disease progresses. You will have to learn to grip her during all three phases of the disease: when she's in disagreement, when she's aggressive or suspicious and when she's dying. Be calm and relaxing.

Try not to take it personally. There may be times you will be vocally abused no matter how kind you are. I find it is more about the person who has the disease than about me and sometimes the only thing you can do is to walk away. Take a deep breath, ah. When you go back to your patient, friend or loved one, do so with a nice big smile and say "hello, how are you today?" Or you’re greeting of choice. Whatever the prior situation was is now forgotten. As I see it, this is the only good thing to come of memory loss.

Then, set up a scheduled routine for your day even though you are too busy with your works, allowing time for bathing, using the toilet, dressing, eating, having fun and socializing. Scheduling visitors will make it a fun activity, giving him something to look forward to. You also need to be patience and be positive. Alzhimers patients will respond to your body language. They thrive on your personal contact. They want you to have a word to them and touch them. This is a human being just like you, the difference is, this person has a disease. All the memories may be gone from the brain, but this is still a person who once lived a normal productive life and should be respected, as we all would hope to be. Try not to down talk, especially in front of the person. Their memory is impaired, not their hearing.

Lastly, discover a support group. If you can't get away find one online. I know you have a computer because you are reading this article.



Portrait of an Alzhimers Patient

Tips:

•If you’re dear one becomes violent often or wanders off, medication may help. Talk to his doctor.
•Use optimistic reinforcement whenever she accomplishes something.

For your resource:

- http://www.alz.org/
- http://www.helpguide.org/
- http://www.carepathways.com/ALZr.cfm

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