11 Gift Ideas for People with Alzheimer’s
December 09 2019
Best Gifts for Alzheimer Patients
The interests of a person who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease change with the changes in the person’s abilities and opportunities. Often such a person has to give up his hobby or those things that previously brought them pleasure. Usually, these changes occur at an early stage of the disease. It is important to help your loved one not to lose themself. You can discuss their interests and what they would like to do to adjust the activities.
We’ve prepared a section with the best activities and gifts for Alzheimer patients. For example, spending time in a large group of people can be extremely tiring for the patient, but he can also enjoy communicating with a small number of close people. Of course, with the progression of the disease, it will be necessary to make a large number of changes in your life together.
But there are a few tips, by which observing, you can easily treat this disease:
- Think about the abilities that a particular person has. A former artist may not be able to complete complex paintings, but can happily create simple drawings. Try to fit these skills into everyday activities appropriately.
- Pay special attention to what can bring joy to a person. Pay attention to the moments when a person looks happy and when they look sad, anxious, or annoyed. For example, when listening to radio programs, someone likes political programs, but he may be afraid of loud debates and will gladly listen to a program about classical music.
- Encourage participation in everyday life. If a person is doing something around the house – vacuuming or setting the table before meals, include this activity in the daily routine, so the person will feel needed and useful.
- Pay attention to their habits. Someone who has always loved to drink coffee and read the newspaper will enjoy the process, even if he can not fully understand what is written in the newspaper.
There are many ways to facilitate and diversify the life of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s. And any effort to help should not be limited to treatment, because everyday life consists of the minutes that can be both tedious and enjoyable.
The most popular and effective way to improve the condition of dementia patients is cognitive-behavioral therapy. We will tell you about the good gifts for Alzheimer’s patients that you can give to your loved ones, they will help to brighten up their leisure time and will be a great addition to their medicines. After all, sensory stimulation is very effective for strengthening hand-eye coordination and concentration and causes an almost instant calming effect.
Best Gifts for Dementia Patients
11 Gift Ideas for People with Alzheimer’s
Here’s a list of gift ideas for Alzheimer patients.
A notebook for notes or a large wall calendar
They often make an effort to remember the daily routine, that’s what’s important to the patient. Thus, they can write down reminders, keep a large notebook or calendar, with a place for reminders. A clock with the day and date may also be a good option for people suffering from Alzheimer’s.
A book or a newspaper
It is important to include cognitive exercises in the daily routine, such as reading a newspaper or a book, as well as talking with relatives and friends about everyday issues. All of this can contribute to the process of preserving abilities.
Bright, tactile rug
The bright, tactile rug is ideal for cognitive therapy for the elderly. It develops tactile sensations, including representations of color, shape, and size.
Comb
By combing their hair themselves or with someone’s help, the patient develops the motor skills of the hands.
Crosswords
Crosswords always train memory and logical thinking. For an Alzheimer’s patient, this is one of the most useful and interesting activities. Don’t forget to put the answers in front of your eyes and to suggest the right answer sometimes.
Pet
According to the research of Melbourne University, animals help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as anxiety and depression. So, a pet is an appropriate gift for someone with Alzheimer’s. However, not all dogs and cats are friendly and affectionate, and a person who has dementia can accidentally provoke an animal to aggression. In addition, even a joyful greeting of the dog can lead to injury, and excessive barking or jumping will cause more harm than good. Therefore, we recommend choosing the breed very carefully.
Puzzles
It is better to choose large puzzles with a small number of elements and a bright picture because it can be assembled even by a person with severely impaired motor skills of the hands. Puzzles are one the most popular and useful for people with Alzheimer’s gifts.
Aquarium
Watching the fish in the aquarium is extremely interesting and soothing for the patient.
Plasticine
Art therapy is very important for some patients. This bright and soft material helps to develop the motor skills of the hands.
Rubik’s cube
Rubik’s cube develops not only motor skills of hands but also helps to involve brain functions.
Joint Activities
Appreciate moments with your loved one. A person with dementia needs your attention like never before. Attention is one of the best gifts for Alzheimer patients you can give. So, of course, in addition to gifts, there are general actions that you can perform together and thereby improve his cognitive actions:
- Folding clothes
This activity also requires cognitive skills and involves hands moving in different directions. What’s more, add a conditioner to soften the linen with a particularly strong smell, and in this case, in addition to the benefits that the folding of linen carries, the sense of smell will also be stimulated. - Simple math exercises related to everyday activities
Depending on the capabilities of the sick person, you may want to consider including simple mathematical exercises in the schedule, provided that it is pleasant to the patient and does not cause stress. - Wiping cutlery, sorting and arranging it in a drawer
This action can contribute to the maintenance of cognitive capabilities, and at the same time, provide the patient with the feeling that he is involved in household chores. - Look through the family album
Remember the good old days with the help of an old family album, or listening to forgotten hits of the past. Physical contact with an object from the distant past can be fruitful too. Moreover, a trip to favorite places may be a good spur of the moment excursion.
In dementia, the areas of the brain that are responsible for rational thinking are destroyed first, but the emotional experience remains unaffected for a long time. Remember this and try to spend time with the patient, because it is your loved one. Enjoy the little things! Your energy will necessarily be transferred to the patient.
If you have read through this article but still have some questions, you can use the services of All American Home Care. They will help you find a solution to your complicated situation.
