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Some Practical Tips for Early Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
Are there some practical things we can do for our loved ones who are experiencing early Alzheimer’s disease or dementia? Yes, there are many things we can do to make life easier and more organized for our loved ones who are becoming forgetful or experiencing early Alzheimer’s disease. For ease of reading I will use the words parent and her or she throughout this article, even though your loved one may be your mother, father, an uncle, aunt, brother, or spouse. Staying with one descriptor makes it easier to read—and to write!
In the early stages, we can start with simple organizational tools that all of us would benefit from using, such as the following:
- Have a place for everything. This means, for example, putting keys in the same pocket of the purse, on the same hook, or in the same dish each time, always.
- Women should use only one purse or, if using a variety of purses, organize them all in the same way so there is a similarity between them. Each one could have staples such as a comb, mirror, pen, tissues, and so forth, so that only the wallet needs to be transferred. Get a small mesh bag for items such as lipstick, nail file, mints, and other small items so they can be transferred from purse to purse easily.
- Make copies of important information, documents, and cards, such as insurance cards, so you can have a copy with you at all times and so can your parent. This helps a lot when cards are misplaced or if your parent forgets to bring the cards with them.
- Keep a current list of medications and their dosages in each purse or wallet, and you carry a copy, too. If you do the list on computer, it can be updated regularly and updates can be sent to your parent’s healthcare providers periodically.
- If there are many doctor visits, fill out one patient information sheet and keep it handy as a reference for completing all the other questionnaires. It is frustrating to try to remember dates and details over and over again. Some clinics might let you just give them a copy of the original form rather than having you fill out multiple forms.
- Keep a large-print list of names and numbers by each of her phones and in each purse/wallet. Put the list on heavy paper, such as a recipe card, and slip it into a plastic cover for durability. Secure it to the phone tables so it is not misplaced.
- Keep paper and pen handy by each phone in case she gets a call she does not understand. At least she can write down the person’s name and phone number to help you figure it out later.
- Use large-faced clocks with a.m. and p.m. clearly noted, especially if your parent takes naps during the day or gets up at night. It can be very confusing not knowing if it is 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.
- Have an easy-to-see calendar to help her know days better. Write only the basic information about appointments on her calendar (such as: 2:30 Dr. Cutler, foot doctor). Keep other details, such as the address and what to bring or any preparation details, on your personal calendar. Encourage your parent to mark off the day each evening before bed.
- Caution your parent to not buy anything on the phone and to not enter into agreements with telemarketers. Eventually you might want to obtain an unlisted number for your parent and give it to friends and relatives only.
- If you take over paying bills for your parent, you might write the checks together and let her sign the checks. She needs to stay involved with her business commitments. Help her organize receipts and other papers.
- Organize medications in a logical manner using pillboxes and/or timers. Monitor that medications are taken every day and on time and that your loved one does not make errors like taking two days’ worth in one day.
- If your parent is still driving and that is becoming dangerous (e.g., she is getting into accidents or getting lost), you will need to help her make a very difficult decision: to give up driving. This is an extremely critical point in the process because it is isolating and upsetting to lose the right to drive and the independence it represents. Be very sensitive to how difficult this will be. You may have to resort to drastic actions to protect her and the public from the dangers of letting her continue to drive. If there are several accidents on record, you might contact her insurance company to see if the insurance can be canceled. That keeps you from being the “bad guy.”
- When your parent does give up driving, be prepared to taxi her to appointments, grocery shopping, social events, and other places just to get out of the house. Many communities have specialized transportation that can help.
- This is a good time to see an attorney with your loved one. Make sure her will is current, have her give you (or another trusted individual) power of attorney, and have a living will or advance heathcare directive in place. Carry copies of these important documents with you at all times.
- Make end-of-life plans. Talk to your parent about the need for everyone, not just her, to plan for burial/cremation, services, obituary, and so forth.
- Have all the doctors’ offices and medical facilities list your number as the primary contact, and have them remove your parent’s number from their records entirely. If they call your loved one with an appointment change or change in medication, you may never know of it until it is too late to do any good.
- Watch both the outgoing and incoming mail. Unscrupulous individuals prey on confused people to obtain money. Pay attention to magazine subscription renewal notices. I once knew a woman who had renewed a magazine for 12 years without knowing what she was doing. Another friend was subscribing to magazines that she had no interest in and did not read. Cancel subscriptions if they are not needed or wanted. Maybe you can negotiate a partial refund.
- If your parent has given up driving, pay attention to her needs for socialization. She should be getting out of the house regularly, having lunches with friends, doing fun activities, and getting some exercise. Find someone trustworthy to help with errands and housework. Many communities have senior centers and other social clubs for your parent to enjoy.
In reading through these ideas, you probably have thought of other ways to organize your parent’s home for safety and efficiency. Such ideas are as endless and varied as our lives are. You might want to do an online search for more information. There are myriad practical tips and resources online at www.azlinfo.org.
One point that is mentioned in almost every article is that the caretaker must take care of herself. This has become a main focus of support groups: caring for the caretaker. One article cites research that indicates the personality and attitude of the caretaker has a huge impact on the progress of the disease for the patient. The more tired and stressed the caretaker is, the more impatient she might be with her parent, thereby causing an increase in the confusion, depression, and stress in the patient. Education and support for the caretaker is critical for the emotional health of the relationship and family.
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