Daily Care
A person living with dementia will eventually need assistance with daily living. By using creativity and caregiving skills, you can adapt routines and activities as needs change. Use our resources to get ideas and connect with other caregivers.
Reminiscence and Reminiscence Therapy
Reminiscence and reminiscence therapy may be beneficial to the well-being of people living with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
An individual living with Alzheimer's or another dementia may not remember what they had for breakfast, but they can often recall memories from long ago — a favorite song, a childhood friend or a beloved hobby. That's because Alzheimer's disease first affects the part of the brain that handles short-term memory. Older memories are stored elsewhere and often remain accessible for much longer.
Photos, music and familiar objects and places can help bring back older memories. These moments can create a sense of connection to the past and to the people who care for them.
Daily Care Plan
Daily routines can be helpful for both you — the caregiver — and the person living with Alzheimer's. A planned day allows you to spend less time trying to figure out what to do, and more time on activities that provide meaning and enjoyment.
Activities
A person living with Alzheimer's or other dementia doesn't have to give up the activities that he or she loves. Many activities can be modified to the person's ability. In addition to enhancing quality of life, activities can reduce behaviors like wandering or agitation.
Communication
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias gradually diminish a person's ability to communicate. Communication with a person with Alzheimer's requires patience, understanding and good listening skills. The strategies below can help both you and the person with dementia understand each other better.
Food and Eating
Regular, nutritious meals may become a challenge for people living in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s. They may become overwhelmed with too many food choices, forget to eat or think they have already eaten.
Bathing
Bathing can be a challenge because people living with Alzheimer’s may be uncomfortable receiving assistance with such an intimate activity. They may also have depth perception problems that make it scary to step into water. They may not perceive a need to bathe or may find it a cold, uncomfortable experience. If people regard bathing as scary, embarrassing, unpleasant or uncomfortable, they may communicate their discomfort by verbally and/or physically resisting attempts to bathe. In some cases, this can escalate and become be unsafe and upsetting for all who are involved.
Dressing and Grooming
Helping a person with dementia maintain his or her appearance can promote positive self-esteem. While these tasks may become frustrating for a person with Alzheimer's in the later stages of the disease, the tips below can help simplify the process.
Reference: https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/daily-care