Helpful Tips for Caregivers

“The miracle is this:

The more we share, the more we

have.”

-Leonard Nimoy

10 Tips for Caregivers of people with Dementia & Alzheimer

1. Expand your knowledge

Take the initiative to educate yourself about your loved one’s condition. Enhancing your understanding can facilitate better communication with them and assist you in adapting to their evolving behavior. Attend medical appointments alongside them and don't hesitate to ask questions to gain further insight.

2. Establish a consistent daily schedule

Implementing straightforward daily routines can provide stability for a loved one experiencing short-term memory loss. Prioritize activities such as bathing, dressing, medication intake, and meals at consistent times each day to promote a sense of structure and familiarity.ach day.

3. Encourage physical activity

Encouraging regular physical activity can help mitigate cognitive decline. Engaging in movement exercises benefits not only their joints, muscles, and cardiovascular health but also uplifts mood, benefiting both you and your loved one.

4. Keep them mentally active

Engage your loved one in mentally stimulating activities to combat cognitive decline. Encourage their independence in performing tasks such as personal hygiene and household chores, and introduce activities like reading and puzzles to keep their mind active.

5. Promote nutritious eating habits

While maintaining interest in food may be challenging, prioritizing balanced nutrition is crucial for slowing cognitive decline.

When preparing meals, include foods with cognitive benefits. These include:

green leafy vegetables
berries
whole grains
fish
poultry

Try to limit:

red meat
cheese
sugar
fried foods

6. Promote good hygiene and grooming

Support your loved one in maintaining good hygiene and grooming habits to bolster their self-esteem and mood.

This includes a daily routine of:

bathing
brushing their teeth
combing their hair

If they feel good about their appearance, it can positively impact their well-being.

7. Practice patience

It might take them longer to complete certain tasks like bathing and eating. Try your best to be patient and not get frustrated.

The inability to care for themselves can be upsetting or embarrassing. You can maintain their dignity by respecting their comfort level. For example, allow them to bathe or shower alone (if it’s safe).

8. Prepare for sundowning

Be prepared to address sundowning symptoms, which can include restlessness, irritability, and confusion during late afternoon and early evening hours. Maintain a consistent bedtime routine, promote daytime activity, and minimize napping and caffeine intake to manage these challenges.

9. Ensure a safe home environment

Take proactive measures to prevent accidents and falls within the home environment.

Install safety features such as:

Place carpet or grip strips on stairs.
Place latches on cabinet doors.
Place covers over electrical outlets.
Remove small rugs.
Place handrails and mats in the shower.

Depending on the severity of their cognitive symptoms, you may not want to leave them unattended in the shower or tub or allow them to cook by themselves.

10. Prioritize self-care

Recognize the importance of self-care in managing the demands of caregiving. Seek respite care when possible, maintain a balanced diet, engage in regular physical activity, and participate in activities that bring personal fulfillment. Explore local or online caregiver support groups to access additional resources and assistance.

More Helpful Tips for Caregivers

Eating & Food Tips

As dementia and Alzheimer's advance, individuals may encounter challenges with eating and drinking. Coordination issues and memory lapses can arise, leading to struggles in recalling the steps involved in these activities.. These difficulties can make mealtimes slow and drawn out.

Here Are Some Tips To Help Mealtime Go Smoothly:

1. Make the eating area quiet. Turn off the TV and radio

2. Offer just one food at a time instead of filling the plate or table with too many options.

3. Don't rush. Be patient and give the person enough time to finish the meal.

4. Cut food into small pieces and make it soft enough to eat, which will help with chewing and swallowing.

5. A meal is a good opportunity for social interaction. You can set the mood with a warm and happy tone of voice.

Note: Nuts and berries are ideal snacks -- both have been linked to better brain health. Blueberries and strawberries, in particular, help keep your brain working at its best and may slow symptoms linked to Alzheimer's.

Meals can be a challenging time for people with Dementia, Alzheimer's and their caregivers.

Maintaining familiar routine and serving favorite food can help the person know what to expect and feel more relaxed.

Healthcare Tips

The Role of Health Care Providers in Dementia and Alzheimer's Care

Health care professionals are often the first points of contact for people with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia — including Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, or frontotemporal dementia — who can help provide care and support. Please read more about the different types of dementia.

Several types of health care professionals may be involved with diagnosing and providing care to people with dementia. These include:

Primary care doctors
Neurologists, who specialize in disorders of the brain and nervous system
Geriatricians, who specialize in the care of older adults
Geriatric psychiatrists, who specialize in the mental and emotional health of older adults
Neuropsychologists, who specialize in standardized assessment of cognition and behavior
Clinical psychologists, social workers, and general psychiatrists, who specialize in understanding, diagnosing, and treating mental health and behavior disorders
Speech, physical, and occupational therapists, who specialize in improving patients’ ability to communicate and perform self-care activities
Nurses
Home health aides

These professionals may see patients at a health clinic, hospital, academic hospital, or long-term care facility.

Health care professionals can provide a variety of resources, including diagnostic evaluations, treatment plans, educational materials, referrals to specialists, and more. Providing resources that focus on dementia and dementia care is critical for improving health care, quality of life, and overall outcomes for people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, as well as for their families and other care providers.

5 Questions Every Caregiver Should Ask at a Doctor Visit

As a caregiver, when you accompany your loved one or client on a visit to the doctor, it's important to be prepared ahead of time. One of the most important things you can do is make a list of the questions you want to ask your physician. Your list should include any recent concerns or things you’ve noticed about your loved one that have come up since your last visit.

However, try to keep this list as concise as possible. This is a great opportunity to get answers straight from the doctor without waiting on hold or sifting through contradicting research online.

"Together, we can get through anything"

The five most important questions to ask the doctor about a loved one living with dementia:

At this point in my loved one’s illness, what can I expect their ability to be cognitively; and is there anything I can do to improve their brain function?
Can we have my loved one evaluated for other physical and psychiatric deficits that can be contributing to their abilities and disabilities?
What can I do to help my loved one eat more/less?
How can I best prevent falls and injury to my loved one?
Where can I get respite, support, and advice from other people who are caring for a loved one with dementia?

These questions are important so you can best care for your loved one. Understand their abilities and have realistic expectations. It will help alleviate you and your loved one unneeded stress.

What to expect:

Referrals to other medical professionals may be necessary as dementia may be one of several challenges your loved one is experiencing.
Appetite changes are common in individuals living with dementia and communication can be difficult. There are many tips and tricks the doctor can suggest to help you better communicate as a caregiver.
Preventing falls before they occur by accommodating your loved one’s environment accordingly can easily be done at home. Ask your doctor for any equipment that might help you with this task and where you can purchase them near you.
Community resources and national organizations can offer support in a variety of ways and should be explored and contacted.

The five most important questions to ask the doctor about your loved one who is recovering from an injury or surgery:

Does my loved one have any physical limitations while they are recovering?
What additional services is my loved one entitled to while they are recovering?
How can I help manage my loved one’s pain?
How can we prevent future injuries/infection?
Will my loved one recover completely or can we expect residual deficits?

These questions are the best way to be proactive about caring for your loved one after an injury and preventing injuries in the future. Realistic expectations about your loved one’s present abilities and recovery will make the process easier for both of you.

What to expect:

You will need to understand any limitations your loved one may have. Follow your physician’s strict advice, so they are able to fully recover in the least possible amount of time.
There may be physical therapy services, occupational therapy services or home care services that your loved one is entitled to while they are recovering. In severe situations, your loved one may be entitled to an inpatient stay in a rehabilitation facility. Be prepared to make arrangements for these if they are recommended by their doctor.
Pain management is often misunderstood and poorly managed as a result. Please ask the doctor and pharmacist any and all questions relevant to medication(s) prescribed by your doctor; such as: How often should this be taken? Does this need to be taken with food? What should be done if it is not effectively relieving my loved one’s pain? Will it cause constipation and how can I treat that proactively?

Please know, as caregiver’s we want only what is best for our client, loved one, or friend. Stepping in and asking questions is a key part of caring for them and making sure they recover successfully.

At the very least, giving them the peace of mind that you can and will remember all the details they may not is a gift any client or loved one would be happy to accept gracefully. As a result, you will find that giving care is both a gift and a reward in itself.

Good health is my divine right

Pharmacy Tips

Pharmacists are a bridge between you and your doctor.

Your pharmacist might also be the health professional you see and talk to most often.

Pharmacists are trained to help you manage and improve your health every day. Your pharmacistalong with your doctor or nurse—can give you patient-centered answers to questions on many topics, including medicines and immunizations. They can also teach you practical skills, including how to use blood glucose monitors and asthma inhalers, and advise ways you can prepare your health for emergencies.

Here are some example questions you might ask your pharmacist the next time you visit the pharmacy.

1. How do I prepare an emergency supply of medicines? Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how you can create an emergency supply of medicines.

2. Some states have emergency prescription refill laws that authorize pharmacists to refill a prescription before it’s due when under an emergency declaration. These laws vary by state. Learn more about the law where you live.

3. What type of over-the-counter drugs should I include in my emergency supplies? Maintain an emergency supply of over-the-counter medicines, including pain and fever relievers, cough and cold suppressants, antihistamines, and antidiarrheal medicines in age-appropriate strengths.

4. What kind of records should I keep with my important paperwork? Keep copies of all your prescriptions. You may need them in case you lose, run out, or damage your medicine. Having written records of your prescriptions makes it easier for another doctor to write a refill if you can’t reach your doctor or pharmacy during an evacuation or emergency.

5. How do I travel (e.g., evacuate) with medicine? Do not keep medicines in the glove compartment of your car. Keep them in their original containers. Keep the containers away from and out of sight of children and pets.

6. How do I take care of my medicine during an emergency? Keep your medicines in a cool, dry place away from heat, air, light, and moisture.

7. How do I store medicines safely at home and when traveling (e.g., evacuating) with children and pets? Any medicine, including those you buy without a prescription, can cause harm if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person or a pet. Put your medicines up and away and out of reach and sight to prevent adverse drug effects.

8. How do I keep medicines cold during a power outage? Use a cooler, ice, and chemical ice packs. If you use insulin to manage diabetes, try to keep your insulin as cool as possible without freezing it. Insulin that has been frozen can break down and is less effective. You can use insulin in opened or unopened vials that have been stored at room temperature (between 59°F and 86°F) for up to 4 weeks.

9. How do I judge the safety of medicine after an emergency? Do not take medicine that has changed color, texture, or smell, regardless of its expiration date. Also, do not take pills that stick together, are harder or softer than normal, or are cracked or chipped. Contact your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you are unsure about a drug’s safety. When in doubt, throw it out.

10. How do I safely dispose of expired, unwanted, unused, or damaged prescription medicines? The best way to dispose of most types of medicines is to drop them off at a drug take-back location.(7) This may be your local pharmacy or police station.

11. What can I do if I am unable to take my medicine as prescribed because it was damaged? Can I share medicines with a friend or family member if they take the same kind? Medicines are only safe to use by the person whose name is on the prescription. You could experience an allergic reaction, an interaction with other medications, or other serious side effects from using someone else’s prescription medicine. People who share their drugs may experience side effects if they ration their supply to share with others.(8)

Make your pharmacist an important member of your healthcare team. Contact your local pharmacist or the FDA if you have questions about medicine.

Exercise Tips

Staying Physically Active with Dementia and Alzheimer's

Here are some tips for helping the person with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease stay active:

Help get the activity started or join in to make the activity more fun.
Be realistic about how much activity can be done at one time. Several short “mini-workouts” may be best.
Take a walk together each day. Exercise is good for caregivers, too!
Make sure the person with Alzheimer’s disease has an ID bracelet with your phone number if he or she walks alone.
Check your local TV guide to see if there is a program to help older adults exercise, or watch exercise videos made for older people.
Add music to the exercises if it helps the person with Alzheimer’s disease. Dance to the music if possible.
Break exercises into simple, easy-to-follow steps.
Make sure the person wears comfortable clothes and shoes that fit well and are made for exercise.
Make sure he or she drinks water or juice after exercise.

Gentle Exercise

Some people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s may not be able to get around well. This is another problem that becomes more challenging to deal with as the disease gets worse. Some possible reasons for this include:

Trouble with endurance
Poor coordination
Sore feet or muscles
Illness
Depression or general lack of interest

Even if people have trouble walking, they may be able to:

Do simple tasks around the home, such as sweeping and dusting.
Use a stationary bike.
Use soft rubber exercise balls or balloons for stretching or throwing back and forth.
Use stretching bands, which you can buy in sporting goods stores. Be sure to follow the instructions.
Lift weights or household items such as soup cans.

Game Tips

5 Top Games for Adults with Dementia and Alzheimer's

1. Jigsaw Puzzles

So long as you can make sure there are no missing pieces, jigsaw puzzles are always a fun idea. Often you can find smaller sized puzzles that fit neatly with the surface of a small table or even the confines of the box it came in that won’t take too long to solve. Jigsaw puzzles come with a great sense of accomplishment upon completion and are very straightforward for any age. Finding wholesome jigsaw puzzles with pleasant pictures are quite easy and can provide great replay value.

2. Dominoes

Dominoes have a distinct black and white design that makes them ideal for elderly patients to use and understand. As well as that, the pieces are usually of a good size so are easy to hold and manoeuvre around the table. With a simple premise that most people will either know or grasp the concept very quickly, Dominoes are great for keeping an active mind and having fun.

3. Card Games

There are a countless number of games you can play with cards and everyone, both young and old, should be familiar with at least one or two. Avoid games that involve tricking your opponent or lying such as poker. Find some fun and simple games, such as Snap, that will provide plenty of fun. In shops or on the internet, you can find larger sized cards or specialised holders to make handling the cards much easier.

4. Bingo

Studies have shown that Bingo is one of the best games to help with the daily management of dementia because of its simplicity combined with providing the right level of mental stimulation. The alertness and concentration required to play Bingo have shown to improve the condition of patients in the short term. Also, it’s a fun group activity that can incorporate many people in a care home, bringing together patients to improve their internal relationships. If you find that the patients are struggling with numbers, another benefit is that you can replace them with almost anything from food to animals.

5. Snakes and Ladders

This childhood favourite is a great way to incorporate both adults and children into a time of fun and cognitive activity. The snakes and ladders board game comes in many different forms but you can opt for the pre-school option with bright colours and big pieces. This ensures the board is easy to see and the pieces are easy to handle.