Alzheimer’s Disease can drastically change a person in a seemingly shockingly short window of time.
Although the true mechanism that causes the disease is still unknown, we do know that patients with Alzheimer’s will have a progressive destruction of their brain and with it, significant deficits in skills that they once had mastered.
As the disease progresses, a social butterfly can reverse metamorphize into someone who is withdrawn, shy, and avoids conversation at all costs.
Tip 1: Accept and hand out invitations for social gatherings
A good idea in any elderly person, but especially in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, is to maintain their social calendar. This is a great way to keep a person engaged in the lives of their friends and family and to prevent the onset of depression.
Social gatherings can be inherently hard if someone was an introvert before their diagnosis, but multiple research studies have shown that regular contact with other people can be very beneficial for people with Alzheimer's.
Maintain a reasonable social calendar schedule with only a few meetings per week to not exhaust the Alzheimer’s patient. It is best to try to schedule a weekly meeting with each person on the same day to keep schedules as consistent as possible. This can reduce unexpected stress that may manifest as the disease worsens.
Tip 2: Join a service club, volunteer group, or art class
Another important component to keep someone with Alzheimer's disease engaged is to try to meet with people their own age to have a support group to draw solidarity from.
Many city centers around the globe offer various types of programs specifically catering to senior citizens. In larger cities, you may be even able to find smaller groups designed specifically for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. These types of clubs are not there to focus on the illness in any way, but to instead help provide interesting activities that can help stimulate patients for a few hours a week.
These Alzheimer's support or social groups can be something like meeting up in a bird watchers' group or learning how to do pottery. The choices are only limited by your imagination. If the Alzheimer’s patient does not like a particular group, do not be discouraged and keep trying to find some type of club they may enjoy. This can take a little bit of time but it will be worth it in the end. You may even discover a hidden passion that was never uncovered until you decided to join one of these groups and gave it a chance.
Tip 3: Laugh as much as you can
Many patients live at least a decade after their initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, so it is natural to be depressed for a period of time — but there is still a lot of quality life for you left to enjoy. Try to stay as positive as you can, and look for something that brings you joy. This could be talking with a good friend, watching a comedy movie or going to a stand-up performance.
Depression can manifest as the disease worsens, but if you have high spirits, medications designed to help fight depression tend to work more effectively. I know it may be hard, but try your best to be as positive as you can be.
Tip 4: Find a way to combine exercise and socializing
It is important to try to find a way to stay active. Exercising in a group rather than by yourself is often much more motivating, and it gives you the added bonus of social interactions at the same time.
Find a friend who is flexible and able to exercise with you. You can try to go for a daily five-mile walk or perhaps a 30-minute swim in the public pool. If you are someone who does not enjoy to sweat, set your exercise goals much lower and just try to go for a 30-minute light walk around your neighborhood. The point of this exertion is to not leave you breathless, but to have a chance for a nice conversation while strengthening your muscles. It’s a win-win situation.
Tip 5: Keep answering your phone and emails
Another thing that may happen as the disease worsens is that you may lose the desire to talk to even close friends and family. This is entirely natural, as depression is a likely manifestation of mild and moderate Alzheimer’s — but try your best to stay as engaged with your family as possible. You may think Alzheimer's disease only limits you, but it can be a significant source of stress and worry for your family and friends as well.
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