Enjoy The Holiday Season While Caring For Your Loved One With Alzheimer's Disease

“Tis the Season” will ring through your homes very soon! Tis the time of gathering with family and friends—a time that can also be stressful, particularly, if you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

How can you be sure that your loved one is comfortable during these types of gatherings while making your preparation as simple as possible? ‘Preparation' is the key word here.

Think about when your loved one is at his or her best. That time of day, if possible, is the best time to hold a gathering at your home. You should keep the guest list small if possible. Crowds can cause a person afflicted with Alzheimer's to become agitated or nervous.

When you invite your guests, explain your loved one's situation to them, so they'll know what to expect. Talk to them about how the disease affects your loved one. Sometimes family members are uncomfortable about how to address or approach another family member afflicted with this disease. Forewarning them can help ease everyone's stress. It is especially important to talk to children ahead of time that their loved one has an illness that makes it difficult to remember things.

Remind your guests that it's ok to introduce themselves to your loved one. For example, “Hi Uncle Steve! It's me, Chris. I'm Marilyn's son.” While the person might not recognize you, he or she often enjoy company, so it's important to have conversations regardless of what your loved one remembers.

Have family members rely on knowledge from the past as people with memory problems tend to remember older history better than more recent events. If your loved one repeats him or herself with a question to your guests, it is ok for them to respond with the same answer. Remind your guests that challenging a patient with Alzheimer's on events they don't remember is a bad idea, as it can lead to increased anxiety and might make his or her memory worse.

If you are visiting another person's home, make it a short visit. Try to arrange it around your loved one's best time of day. If your hosts have pets, ask if they wouldn't mind keeping their pets locked up while you are there. People with Alzheimer's may easily trip over a small animal or may become nervous in its presence.

References: National Institute on Aging, University of the Sciences