National Caregiver’s Day Tips

Caregiving is made up of tasks that are only temporarily completed. That important doctor’s appointment you took your father to may have been a heroic achievement of a goal—but there are plenty more doctors’ appointments ahead. You may have finally succeeded in securing the help of an aide to assist your mother so she can stay home a bit longer—but you know very well that the nature of Alzheimer’s disease means that the day may come when an aide at home is not enough. And then there are the day-to-day chores, cooking and feeding, bathing and dressing—these are certainly undone quickly, and you have to start again from scratch.

• BE ENCOURAGING
  Support engagement in activities that bring your loved one joy, even if they seem redundant to you.
• ENCOURAGE SELF EXPRESSION
  Incorporate activities that allow for self-expression, like painting, dancing, drawing, or music.
• JUMP IN DURING THE HARD PARTS
  Help with challenging parts of an activity. If your loved one is having trouble measuring an ingredient, finish the measuring then ask them to do the mixing. This allows them to know they are important.
  
  
• BE FLEXIBLE 
  If discontent seems imminent, don’t force participation. Make room for switching gears and try the activity another way.

   

• MODEL TASKS
  You may need to show your loved one how to participate in an activity and break your explanation into basic steps.