Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease

by National Institute on Aging

Home Care

Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease at home is a difficult task. Basic activities of daily living - eating, talking, sleeping, finding things to do - are often hard to manage for both the person with Alzheimer's and the caregiver. Here are some tips that may help you cope.

Home Care - Daily Activities

What to do all day? Finding activities that the person with Alzheimer's can do and is interested in can be a challenge. Building on existing skills generally works better than trying to teach something new.

Activities for Someone with Alzheimer's

Don't expect too much. Simple activities often are best, especially when they use current abilities.

Help the person get started on an activity. Break the activity down into small steps and praise the person for each step he or she completes.

Watch for signs of agitation or frustration with an activity. Gently help, or distract the person to something else.

Incorporate activities the person seems to enjoy into your daily routine and try to do them at a similar time each day.

Take advantage of adult day services, which provide various activities for the person with Alzheimer's as well as an opportunity for caregivers to gain temporary relief from tasks associated with caregiving. Transportation and meals often are provided.

Making a Memory Book

Trying to communicate with a person who has Alzheimer's can be a challenge. Both understanding and being understood may be difficult.

Choose simple words and short sentences and use a gentle, calm tone of voice.

Tips on Communicating

Avoid talking to the person like a baby or talking as if he or she weren't there. Minimize distractions and noise, such as the television or radio, to help the person focus on what you are saying.

Call the person by name, making sure you have his or her attention before speaking. Allow enough time for a response. Be careful not to interrupt.

If the person with Alzheimer's is struggling to find a word or communicate a thought, gently try to provide the word he or she is looking for.

Try to frame questions and instructions in a positive way.

Simplifying Mealtimes

Eating can be a challenge. Some people with Alzheimer's want to eat all the time, while others have to be encouraged to maintain a good diet. Ensure a quiet, calm atmosphere for eating. Limiting noise and other distractions may help the person focus on the meal.

Photo of woman helping an Alzheimer's patient drink. Provide a limited number of choices of food and serve small portions. You may want to offer several small meals throughout the day in place of three larger ones.

Use straws or cups with lids to make drinking easier. Substitute finger foods if the person struggles with using utensils. Using a bowl instead of a plate also may help.

Have healthy snacks on hand. To encourage eating, keep the snacks where they can be seen.

Visit the dentist regularly to keep mouth and teeth healthy.

For the exhausted caregiver, sleep can't come too soon. For many people with Alzheimer's, however, nighttime may be a difficult time. Getting the person to go to bed and stay there may require some advance planning.

Set a quiet, peaceful tone in the evening to encourage sleep. Keep the lights dim, eliminate loud noises, even play soothing music if the person seems to enjoy it.

Try to keep bedtime at a similar time each evening. Developing a bedtime routine may help.

Encourage exercise during the day and limit daytime napping.

Restrict access to caffeine late in the day.

Use nightlights in the bedroom, hall, and bathroom if the darkness is frightening or disorienting.

Quiz

1. Activities for a person with Alzheimer's disease should be broken down into small steps.

TRUE is the correct answer. Breaking down activities into small steps makes them easier and more accessible for the person with Alzheimer's disease. Be sure and praise the person for each step that is completed.

2. It is best to provide a person with Alzheimer's with a wide variety of food choices at each meal.

FALSE is the correct answer. It is preferable to limit the number of food choices during a single meal, and caregivers may even want to serve only one food at time.

3. When communicating with someone with Alzheimer's, it is a good idea to speak loudly and use baby talk.

FALSE is the correct answer. Since persons with Alzheimer's eventually have trouble understanding others when they speak, it is best to address them in a calm, gentle tone of voice and use simple words and short sentences. You may need to repeat yourself several times or point to objects to show what you mean.

4. If a person with Alzheimer's disease has trouble sleeping at night, the caregiver should try to keep bedtime to a similar time each evening.

TRUE is the correct answer. It is important to set up a regular schedule for a person with Alzheimer's disease that includes adequate rest. Encourage exercise during the day and limit daytime napping. Restrict the person's access to caffeine late in the day and consider developing a bedtime routine.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.