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Families Can Help Alzheimer's Patients Cope with Holidays
Holiday traditions and memories pose special challenges to families of people with Alzheimer's disease.
"It's unrealistic to expect holiday gatherings to be like they once were if a family member suffers from memory loss and other problems caused by Alzheimer's," says Dr. Naomi Nelson, a psychologist in the department of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine.
"Families are more likely to enjoy their time together if they don't expect perfection," she says. Dr. Nelson offers the following strategies for coping with the holidays:
- If the Alzheimer's patient has difficulty following conversations, avoid seating them in the middle of a room filled with people. "That's information overload," Dr. Nelson says. "The patient might be better able to focus on questions and comments in a corner of the room where there are fewer distractions."
- Give clues to help the Alzheimer's patient process information. When introducing family members, for example, mention the relationship, such as "This is Sally, your granddaughter."
- If the Alzheimer's patient wants to talk about past holidays but is unable to recollect them accurately, avoid correcting every little detail that is mentioned. "Even if the memories are not described accurately, you can promote a sense of belonging and importance by including the Alzheimer's patient in social conversation," Dr. Nelson says. "People with Alzheimer's disease usually enjoy sharing their memories in a safe and respectful setting with family and friends."
- If a disturbing behavior occurs, family members should be informed that it's often the result of the patient being confused. For example, the Alzheimer's patient might forget that a relative died; when someone brings up the name of the deceased, the patient might burst into tears or anger and demand to know why no one told them about the death. If the patient's emotions seem out of control, Dr. Nelson recommends taking the patient to another room temporarily to calm down. "Reassure the patient that he or she is loved and welcome," she says.
Dr. Nelson stresses the importance of enjoying the moments when meaningful communication occurs, however short and few they might be. "If the Alzheimer's patient can engage in coherent conversation with a grandchild for only five minutes, treasure those five minutes," Dr. Nelson says. "Any kind of connection with a loved one is worth cherishing, and sometimes we forget to appreciate those moments as they happen."
- B. J. ALMOND
©2006 Texas Medical Center
E-Mail: tmc-info@tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/11_15_99/page_10.html
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