How to Care for Someone With Alzheimer's | Visiting Angels Spokane

Alzheimer's disease impacts more than the person who's been diagnosed. Without a cure yet developed, family and friends must concern themselves with the ability to provide care throughout its progression. It's crucial that we show compassion for loved ones who are living through it, create a comforting and safe environment, and pursue therapies that intend to slow the worsening of symptoms.

Tips to Care for Loved Ones with Alzheimer's

Research into Alzheimer’s is ongoing because it is a complex disease that disrupts brain cell connections, even causing brain cells to degenerate and die. The disease takes time to fully develop, so with the right care, it’s possible that our loved ones living with Alzheimer’s have years of meaningful life.

The Department of Health and Human Services offers helpful tips for caregivers and families of loved ones who have cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s. These tips range from building routines for daily living to creating a system of reminders, such as for medications, to maintaining a planner or calendar. It’s also important to consider your loved one’s independence, as well as the development of symptoms.

We also know that certain changes to their lifestyle can help slow the disease’s progress, such as keeping your loved one mentally stimulated, as outlined by the Alzheimer's Association is to keep your loved one mentally stimulated. This is because mental stimulation can strengthen brain cells and their connections. Outlined below are some activities that you and your loved one can do around the house to stay mentally engaged.

Play a Game or Work on a Puzzle

Board games, card games, video games, and puzzles may be able to stimulate the brain by exercising a player's cognitive skills, like memory and reasoning. The games or puzzles don't have to be complex; they can be as simple as checkers or Go Fish, which not only are mentally stimulating but are also opportunities to stay connected with your loved one.

If you want to provide something more challenging, try completing a newspaper crossword. According to a study published in 2022, people with cognitive impairment who regularly worked on crossword puzzles have the potential to show improvements in memory and thinking. To get the most benefit, look for a puzzle that's moderately difficult, such as the New York Times crossword, that you and. Your loved one can attempt to solve multiple times per week and even set time limits. The cognitive benefits aside, the shared effort between the two of you can be a terrific bonding moment as well.

Read and Write

Literacy skills like reading and writing can help stimulate the brain in a couple of ways. One of the most important benefits is acquiring and structuring new information, which can strengthen memory and help build stronger connections among brain cells.

Reading and writing can also provide opportunities to build your relationship with a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer's. You read a book together and discuss it afterward, treating those moments like a family book club. Or you could help them write letters to friends and family members, which can be meaningful tokens that last long into the future.

Play or Listen to Music

Actively playing music or listening to one's favorite songs can help people with Alzheimer's by improving their memory and cognition. That's because, for many people, music has a special relationship to their emotions. Hearing a familiar melody or lyric can transport them to meaningful life moments, like the time they met someone special or underwent a tremendous and moving experience. Recollections can then connect to others, a sort of memory association that can strengthen the minds of those in cognitive decline.

The keys to maximizing the cognitive benefits of music are to reduce distractions and focus on tunes to which your loved one has a deep connection. To that end, avoid media that include commercials and ask your loved one about his or her favorite songs. You might also speak with their friends and family members to identify music that may have significance between them and your loved one. Doing so, you not only expand the library of music the two of you can enjoy but also discover points of interest you can discuss.

Make Art

As a creative act, making art can work out the less frequently used parts of the brain, which may lead to improvements in mental faculties. A 2023 study, for example, showed that some art therapies, like calligraphy, were able to improve cognitive function, and anecdotal evidence speaks to art's power to help build new memories in people experiencing memory loss. Aside from the brain-boosting benefits, artistic creation can also reduce other challenges associated with Alzheimer's, like mood changes and difficulties with communication.

It doesn't take much to make art with a loved one. Some paper and pencils are all you need to sketch together, but you could also invest in tools like brushes, watercolors, paints, and canvases. There are also alternative art forms you might consider, like bonsai, calligraphy, collage, and decorative journaling. We recommend speaking with your loved one about their preferences and building out the activity from there.

Do Routine Tasks

Performing routine tasks may actually have cognitive benefits. Chores like washing dishes and preparing a meal involve planning and organization, which are mental activities that can build up the brain. They work a lot like exercise, too, because they're small, accessible forms of physical activity that improve memory and concentration by promoting oxygen flow to the brain.

Your loved one may have trouble with certain activities, so the tasks you perform together should be within their capabilities. Gardening and baking cookies are examples of manageable activities in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's. Later on, you might consider simpler tasks like watering the houseplants and folding laundry.

Make a Memory Book

A memory book is a homemade collection of memorabilia from a person's life, like photos, letters, and objects that recall sweet moments from their past. Among other benefits, a memory book can serve as a series of reference points that helps your loved one to recall other memories, and it can provide assurance at times when they find themselves feeling unfamiliar with their surroundings.

An additional upside of making a memory book is that you may learn more about your loved one's life. Even with our closest friends and family, there are bound to be events, experiences, hopes, and ambitions we don't know about. Searching together through the record of your loved one's life affords you the opportunity to connect with the versions of themself they'd been before your time.

What Do the Early Stages of Alzheimer's Look Like?

Not everyone experiences Alzheimer's the same, so it's crucial to stay educated about the disease and be proactive about your loved one's care. If you know someone who is displaying any of the following warning signs, we encourage you to seek evaluation by a physician.

Memory Problems

Memory problems are one of the first and most common signs of Alzheimer's. When memory issues begin disrupting your loved one's daily life, it may be an indication to get them tested for the disease.

A Decline in Cognitive Skills

In the early stages of Alzheimer's, cognitive decline could express itself as difficulties with concentration and familiar tasks. Some individuals may also struggle with finding the right words or performing activities of daily living, like tying their shoes and brushing their teeth. Practicing patience and making yourself available to help them can be instrumental in guiding them through their difficulties.

Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships

Loss or impairment of vision is another early sign of Alzheimer's. Your loved one may have trouble judging distances and distinguishing between colors and contrast. This issue can prevent your loved one from driving and may cause them to misjudge the placement of their furniture. We recommend that you make yourself available to your loved one if they need transportation, as well as to remain aware of their movements to prevent injury.

Impaired Reasoning and Judgment

As the disease progresses, a person with Alzheimer's may demonstrate poor judgment when handling money or deciding what to eat. They may also begin to pay less attention to their grooming. Developing a family caregiving plan or seeking at-home caregiving options can protect your loved one from financial harm, help them with everyday decisions, and ensure they maintain their hygiene.

What Are the Next Steps for Someone With Alzheimer's?

If your loved one has tested for Alzheimer's and received a diagnosis, Visiting Angels can help your family transition into an at-home care plan that promotes their safety and well-being. Alzheimer's disease is a challenge for the whole family, but it's not something you have to handle alone.

Contact us at (509) 922-1141 to ask about our Alzheimer's care services, and we will schedule a time to visit your loved one at their home to provide a free consultation and to create a personalized care program.