I’ve discovered that with personality traits and characteristics from childhood and adulthood are often intensified and emphasized in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.
These can include a variety of personality characteristics. Some that I’ve seen are:
Wanting attention
OCD tendencies
Meekness
Neatness
Sweetness
Irritations
Food likes and dislikes
In what ways have you seen the personality emphasized due to dementia?
Stimulating the mind and memory are great tools for dementia and Alzheimer’s patient. Even in the most advanced stages they can do simple task.
The interest and ability of each person is different, however some suggestions are:
Checkers
Tic tac toe
Cards—Uno, Old Maid, etc.
Puzzles—even if it is the simple 10 piece puzzle
Word Search Puzzles
Fill in the Blanks—we will take a familiar hymn, song or piece of scripture and remove 1-2 words to allow the patient to fill in the blanks {ex. For God so loved the {world}; How {Great} thou art; Jesus love {me}}
Music—often songs bring back memories of days gone by
Computer based games such as Smartbrain
Dominoes or Qwirkle
Household Chores—this is great for more advances cased. Simple task such as folding socks or washcloths, planting seeds, mixing ingredients, dusting, etc.
We all need fellowship with our friends and peers.
I’ve met some families that long to constantly take family members out. I’ve met other family members that refuse to take their family members out, although it is enjoyable for that person.
There are instances when it is not possible to have outings, such as if the person is bed bound.
However, short outings are encouraged for the elderly.
Doing so gets them out and about and allows them to interrupt with others.
Socialization is important for the elderly. This is one of the benefits of adult day care, retirement centers or skilled nursing care.
However, even if a person is home bound short outings are still good for them.
These can include:
Going out to eat
Riding into town and back
A walk through nature {or a ride}
Having a friend visit
Family gatherings
Doctor visits
Personal Care Outings {Hair, Nails, etc.}
How do you help your loved one have fellowship and outings?
Working with the elderly, I’ve discovered one thing. They all need a lot of sleep.
The amount of sleep is different for each person.
There is no set age when this sets in.
There are numerous factors that play into these factors, such as
effects of medicine
diseases they have been diagnosed with {Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc}
activity level
age
the more activity wears them out the more rest they usually need {for example if just getting in and out of car or going out to eat is too much, then they may sleep for a while upon return}
Just as young children need a lot of sleep, so do the elderly.
They need the time to rest and rejuvenate their system.
There are times when their agitation or moods may be enhanced due to the lack of rest and sleep needed.
I had one lady that often saw people were not there. There were times when she would have conversations with them for hours on end.
Often these conversations were very informative and entertaining.
Hallucinations are common for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
There are a variety of reasons but the most common are the interaction of medicines and the disease.
However, I’ve also spent enough time with Alzheimer’s patients that I believe they often see things we can’t see. For some reason, they’re able to see the veil between our world and the spirit world that is hidden from the rest of us.
I’ve seen some family members and CNAs argue and try to convince the resident that no one is there. However, this often leads to more agitation.
So instead, just listen and love your new one.
Who knows what new friends your loved ones may introduce you to?
How have you dealt with hallucinations in a loved one?
Sadly, anger is prevalent at times in those that suffer from Alzheimer’s.
Sometimes this is due to their personality and life issues. Often, this is because the person knows something is wrong, but can’t find the words to express what is wrong.
Some reasons for the anger may include:
Unable to find words to express him/herself
Is bothered by something but can’t express what
Knows something isn’t right but isn’t sure what
Is confused
Is frustrated
Is irritated by limitations {physical and/or mental}
Paranoid of being talked about
Staying calm and helping the resident find ways to express him/herself is the best way to work through these bouts.
What do you do when your loved one expresses anger?
Spending my days with senior adults, many of them have Alzheimer’s.
So what have I learned from this wonderful group?
Most of it boil down to one fact that is not all that different from the rest of us. They want to be loved.
Some examples include:
I have one lady that sighs every time a hand is placed on her shoulder.
I have another man who constantly says “I love you.”
I have a lady that claps her hands when she sees a familiar face.
I have another lady who will take your hands and kiss them.
I have a lady that is a recluse, but a hand on the shoulder and kind word will elicit a smile
These are just some of the common responses I see on a daily basis. They just want to know they are not forgotten and that someone cares.
We often think that they don’t know when family visits. However, I’ve seen time again the way a face lights up when family appears. I’ve also seen the sadness of watching a peer with his/her family. We may not think so, but they are aware of whether loved ones visit on a regular basis or not. Again, they know if they are loved and wanted or not.
No, they may not remember who you are and they may have forgotten what you’d just said, but they also know how you make them feel.
We hear the terms dementia and Alzheimer’s, but exactly what do they mean.
There are actually several types of dementia.
First let’s define the term dementia. It is a general term for a loss of memory or other mental abilities that are severe enough to interfere with day to day life.
So what are the types of dementia?
Alzhiemer’s disease—most common type of dementia.
Vascular dementia-often occurs after a stroke
Dementia with Lewy bodies—have abnormal aggregations of the protein alphasynuclein
Parkinson’s disease
Mixed dementia—linked to more than one kind of dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Huntington’s Disease—progressive brain disorder
Normal Pressure hydrocephalus
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome—caused by severe deficiency of vitamin B-1
For a more in-depth view of symptoms, causes and treatments check out Alz.org and Alzheimers.net