If your loved one has dementia, has become forgetful, repetitive, isolates him/herself, is confused about where he/she has left items around the house and confused about how others perceive him/her, please share these words of wisdom:
1. Tell them to take their time and not let others rush them.
2. Tell them to explain to people that they have a memory problem asking them to repeat things if they feel it is necessary.
3. If your parent loses a thought, tell them not to panic. It may come back later so they should relax – it happens! Try telling your parent to ask the person with whom they are speaking to remind them of the last thing they said.
4. Tell them to focus on what they can do and not on what they cannot do.
5. Try to keep them on a schedule for meals, medications, exercise and bedtime
6. Help them write notes and leave them in a visible place (for example “turn off stove).
7. Tell them to ask for help with sorting and choosing clothing.
8. Consider buying them a pocket sized voice memo recorder to jog their memory.
9. Tell them if someone comes to their door whom they don’t recognize not to let them in. They may ask for a name and phone number and give them to a family member later on.
10. If a parent lives alone, ask a friend or relative to call them each day to make sure they are alright. Make sure this friend or relative has a key to the house.
11. Make sure they take someone of trust along whenever they go out.
12. Arrange for someone you trust to pay their bills and balance their checkbook.
13. Ask them to write important things down in a “memory book” then ask them to keep it with them.
14. Label things around the house with the contents of important things such as their “sock drawer”
15. Have them make a list of what they want to do each day.
16. Keep a calendar of their appointments and commitments in a very visible place. Have them mark off the days each night before going to bed.
17. Help them feel comfortable about asking for help.
These items above and more are within the purview of a Geriatric Care Management Service. At A Good Daughter, we have a trained assistant care manager with an undergrad degree in psychology, previous experience providing cognitive stimulating activities in long term care, and who has also taken care of her grandparents – an experience which changes you forever. So, call A Good Daughter Elder Care Management and let us provide a comprehensive assessment of your loved one’s needs. We can provide a very detailed document with concrete recommendations for keeping your family member with Alzheimer’s safely living in their own home with appropriate care. Call 1-800-963-3877 and ask for the senior care manager, Olga Brunner who will be happy to meet with you for a complimentary consultation. We also conduct a support group for family members on the third Wednesday of the month between 5:30 pm and 7:30pm which is also complimentary but you must RSVP. Visit us on the web at: www.AGood Daughter.com
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