PRESERVING INDEPENDENCE IN THE CASE OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Although the time will come in the course of most forms of dementia when sufferers will become less involved with their environment and those around them because of apathy, loss of concentration, and so on, it is best to make the most of what they can achieve while this is still possible. Life will then become fuller not just for the sufferer, but also for those who are involved in caring. This chapter describes some simple activities that may be possible in the early and mid stages of the disease. Rather than trying to keep a person with dementia active all day long, it is probably better to break up the day by organizing several short periods of activity at convenient times. In the earlier stages of the disease it may be helpful to concentrate upon those that will result in the sufferer enjoying a feeling of achievement and of having been useful.
Other important areas that relate to the preservation of independence are the need to stop driving, to give up work, to give up living alone, and often to move house. These will all be discussed in turn.
It is not usually possible for people with dementia to learn new skills so it is best to base activities, whether recreational or otherwise, on skills that have already been obtained in earlier life, taking advantage of them until they fade from the memory store. Activities that involve relationships with other people and pets are often among the most meaningful for a person with a declining intellect. It is also important to remember the need for physical exercise.
This chapter will only be able to provide ideas, as with so many of the other chapters in this book. Trial and error alone will show what is best for an individual and his or her pattern of activity should not be expected to remain unchanged as the months pass.
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