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Often we’re at a loss about what activities our family members with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia related disorders can engage in. This book, Alzheimer’s Activities, by B. J. Fitzray gives a wealth of information to help caregivers, both in nursing homes at at one’s own home, keep the person with dementia busy as much as […]
When they had sing-alongs at the nursing home when I visited my mother or there was music playing in her room, usually the songs were the “oldies” she might have known in her girlhood or younger adult years.
I recognized them as songs like, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “Danny Boy,” For Me and My Gal,” “In the […]
I’ve discovered that Alzheimer’s forms a bond among people who have very little else in common. They are reaching out to others who will understand or encourage, whether they’re the patient, family member, or caregiver.
When others learn I was caregiver for my mom and helped with my aunt, they seem almost to grasp my hand and […]
“Oh, how horrible!,” people exclaim when they discover my mother had Alzheimer’s. “How did you cope with it?”
I found I didn’t want to be pitied. Now did I want Mother and Auntie, her sister, to be pitied. Mother still had usefulness in her world and her family’s world. Caring for her, coping with her, learning about her […]
As Mother succumbed further into the world of Alzheimer’s disease, she often thought a strange woman lived in her house. This is typical of many Alzheimer’s patients.
“Who’s that woman in my house?” Mother asked one morning.
I inquired, “What woman?”
“That strange woman in the mirror,” she answered.
When I still seemed puzzled, she tugged at my hand […]
Several warning signs or symptoms serve as indicators that a person might be developing Alzheimer’s disease. One or two alone isn’t reason to panic. However, when a number of these occur, you might want to get more input.
The Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) has information regarding these warning signs on their web site, as well as in […]
My grandson and I joined my mom for the party at the nursing home. I don’t remember just which holiday or occasion it celebrated. However, we wheeled Mother to the community room for refreshments and music.
Five-year old Alex liked to visit his great grandmother, chattered with her even when she didn’t respond and helped me […]
Numerous resources exist online for discovering information about this disease, help for caregivers, places to shop, and books to read. I found, when caring for my mom and aunt, that the more I could learn about what they were going through, the better it was for all of us.
While Mother was alive, I subscribed to […]
Developing a photo album was another suggestion, when I moved Mother to the nursing home. This would be a simple book, with a few photos of people and places important in her life. I could use it to jog her memory when I visited. Or staff members might show it her when chatting with her or […]
Families often become frustrated when they find items missing from their family member’s room at a nursing home. Clothing, pictures, cards, shoes, jewelry disappear and they often blame the staff or another resident.
Even though items disappear, it may not occur consciously. The person with Alzheimer’s truly thinks it’s their property, even though these are possessions […]
Encouraging Alzheimer's caregivers from someone who's been there.
Written by Mary Emma Allen [email] for b5media.
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