A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease

A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier, authored by Patricia Callone, Connie Kudlacek, Barbara Vasiloff, Janaan Manternach and, Roger Brumback

The book makes it easy for everyone to understand Alzheimer’s disease. The authors give an overview of how the brain functions and affects daily life. As the brain deteriorates, the patient loses certain abilities such as short term memory. They break down Alzheimer’s disease into stages and illustrate the brain’s deterioration.

The authors take the reader through each stage of the disease progression, and provide scenarios which are particularly useful in order to understand the changes for both caregivers and those with the disease. A daughter and her father eating at their favorite restaurant is used at the beginning of each chapter to illustrate how the progression of the disease affects the relationship between the patient and loved ones. Personal experiences are also used in the book to further strengthen the reader’s understanding of the disease.

The book is divided into three sections that correspond to the progression of Alzheimer's and the unique challenges encountered at each stage.

Section A: This section divides the progression of the disease into Stages: the Pre-Clinical Stage; Early-To-Mild Stage, which marks the onset of the disease; Moderate Stage; and the Severe Stage. Hundreds of practical tips geared to coping and compensating at each level of the disease provide support for the affected individual and the caregiver.

Section B: A section of questions and answers that addresses specific issues caregivers face and give them points to reflect on as they continue the process. Key topics covered include:

• Legal and financial issues
• Family Forums in the caregiving process
• The role of medication at various stages of the disease
• Helping children understand what is happening to a loved one
• Handling the holidays and celebrations
• Making the living environment more stimulating and enjoyable

Section C: Lists resources and suggests websites to find additional information about the disease itself as well as related valuable networks.

The following as some sample recommendations from the book:
Improving Cognitive Abilities

You can help improve the memory of a dementia patient by following these suggestions:

• Verbally identify household objects in order to promote language skills.
• Identify people and objects in photographs.
• Spend time doing activities enjoyed before the onset of the disease.
• Play games that involve movement, such as bean bag tossing and following exercise tapes.
• Decorate for the holidays. Not only will this make the environment more stimulating, but it will also cue the patient to the season.

The ability to perform complex tasks that were learned early in life can remain late in the disease progression. Help the person with Alzheimer’s by nourishing the skills that remain. Some of these may involve:

• Long-term memories. Watch films or listen to music from that person’s youth, discuss books he or she has read, past vacations, favorite family members or past personal achievements—use your imagination!
• Interests or hobbies learned before the disease. Invite the Alzheimer’s patient to participate in activities that involve using skills he or she still has; this could include working on a jigsaw puzzle, playing a musical instrument, or playing card games.
• Socializing. Encourage participation in any activity that involves other people, such as adult day care programs, entertainment events, socials, neighborhood associations, friends and family. Early Alzheimer’s patients in particular may feel inferior because of their cognitive losses. They should be reassured that they can continue to be included in social gatherings.
• Sensory perception. Try painting different colors in a single room, or different rooms in various colors. Increasing lighting can improve the patient’s concentration and may also reduce the risk of falls. Decorate the house, windows and table settings. Play music for stimulation during activities or to provide calm at rest times.

Caregiving Tips

Here are a few caregiver tips for making life easier when caring for an Alzheimer’s patient:

• Label the contents of drawers and cupboards.
• Mark the passage of time on calendars by drawing an “X” on the days that have passed. Write down events to be looked forward to in the future.
• Preserve private time for yourself. Dementia patients become dependent on their caregivers, and can become distressed when you are absent. Set privacy limits before this happens.
• Establish a hygiene routine. Although the importance of hygiene diminishes for dementia patients, being clean and well dressed increases their dignity and self-esteem.
• Keep a log of behavior disturbances. Make a note of what may have triggered the behavior, the time of day it occurred, and any other details you think are relevant. Look for patterns so you can avoid them in the future.
• Delegate tasks now to prepare for the time when you will need help.
• Lower the pitch of your voice. Don’t shout, as it may cause agitation.
• Allow extra time for daily tasks to compensate for slowed reactions and reduced abilities. Don’t rush, as this can create a stressful situation unnecessarily.
• Use easy-to-manage clothing, such as items that close in front rather than over the head, and use Velcro fastenings when possible.
• Serve food in plates or bowls with a lip or rim (like a pie plate) to make it easier to get food on the fork. Attaching foam rubber to utensil handles will make them easier to grip. Keep finger foods on hand for snacks.
• Consider getting a pet. Small animals such as birds, fish and gerbils can bring joy and the satisfaction of being needed to the dementia patient, and they are relatively easy to care for.
• Childproof the environment. Install childproof locks on cabinets, put cleaners and sharp objects out of reach, remove objects that can be easily swallowed, and hide breakable valuables.

The authors recommend reading the overview of each stage and then going back to read the tips for the stage that applies to you. The book provides the tools to help caregivers cope and focus on their loved one’s remaining strengths.
A number of readers will also find the section on family holidays and gifts useful. Some of the suggestions are ideas that you just might not have thought about.
You can purchase the book at favorite neighborhood bookstore or online by searching using your favorite search engine.

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