When someone develops Alzheimer’s disease, things start to change. It could happen slowly or it could be all of a sudden. However, one thing is for sure. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease often get left out of activities. Just because your elderly loved one has this disease, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to or shouldn’t be involved in things. You should do your best to make sure your elderly loved one still gets to be social and active in activities that you are planning or doing.
Adapting Traditions
If you have traditions that you and your family stick to every year, there is no reason that these can’t be adapted a bit, to involve your loved one. For instance, if you generally hold a card game every weekend, this might become too difficult for your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. You might be willing to make changes to this tradition. You could still have everyone come over every weekend, but watch a movie instead of playing a card game. This way your elderly loved one can still be involved. If you can’t think of a way to alter the traditions that you already have, you might consider creating some new traditions for your loved one to be involved in.
Focusing on the Safety of Your Loved One
For many people who have Alzheimer’s disease, noisy and busy environments can cause increased anxiety and agitation. They might not feel safe in this type of environment. Since many people with this disease also don’t know how to properly express themselves, they might leave the situation without saying anything to you or their elderly care provider. Think about this before you take your loved one someplace. You can still involve them in activities, just be cautious about where you are taking them.
Better Communication
As your elderly loved one’s disease gets worse, they aren’t going to be able to communicate quite as well. It is essential that you, other family members, and their elderly care providers take the time to learn how to better communicate with your loved one. The better you can communicate with them, the more often they can take part in activities with you. For instance, if you learn to pick up on their nonverbal communication, you can understand how they are feeling if you take them over to a friend’s house to visit.
Pick the Best Activities
If you weren’t aware of this already, there are some activities that are Alzheimer’s friendly. For instance, things such as dancing, baking, listening to music, arts and crafts, and gardening are all things that someone with Alzheimer’s disease might be able to do. Think about this when you are planning activities to do with your elderly loved one.
These are some of the ways that you can still get someone with Alzheimer’s disease to do activities. Use these tips to make sure your elderly loved one is still participating in activities.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/adapting-activities-people-alzheimers-disease
If you are considering elderly care in Burnsville, MN, for an aging loved one, contact Golden Heart Senior Care of Bloomington at (952) 226-4653. Our caring staff can answer your questions!
