Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that includes Alzheimer’s disease. These brain disorders can make it difficult for patients to make decisions, think clearly, and control emotions. These disorders aren’t just little memory slips either, they’re serious and progressive issues dealing with memory, communication, and focus. Caring for someone with dementia and Alzheimer’s requires immense patience. Apart from that, you also do need certain guidelines to help.

So, here are some lifestyle tips for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to help you make your role as a caregiver easier.

1. Avoid excessive nap time
Patients with dementia would feel like sleeping randomly throughout the day. This might also sound like a good idea to you as they would get rest and limit their chances of hurting themselves. However, experts caution against this. Sleeping excessively and randomly can ultimately lead to a disturbing confusion between night and day. If the patient must take a nap, make sure that it is a short one in the afternoon and no more.

2. Allow a certain level of independence
While you would like doing each and every task for them, you must give them a certain level of independence. For example, while it is okay to lay out their clothes, you can encourage them to dress up on their own by keeping the clothes in the order in which they need to be worn.

3. Provide them options to choose from
Mental exercise is extremely important for anyone with dementia. So, offer them the option of choice. For instance, if you are laying their clothes out, you can offer them the option of choosing between a blue and a green shirt. Likewise, you can offer options for food such as choosing between a bagel and a sandwich. However, do not offer too many options as this can get confusing. Keep the choices limited to two. This exercise also lets the patient have a sense of control over what they want to do for themselves. Depending on how well they respond to the choices, you can increase the scope of the activity.

4. Minimize possible distractions
One of the most important lifestyle tips for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is to let the patient focus on one thing at a time. This gives clarity. For instance, keep the television switched off during meal times so they can focus completely on eating. Also, while the patient is engaged in performing one task, wait for them to finish before handing out the next task. This will prevent them from getting confused.

5. Keep communication simple
For anyone with dementia, following complicated sentences can prove to be difficult. Keep your communication simple with the help of short sentences. Speak slowly and allow them to take in each and every word you are saying. This is difficult to do but extremely important. Seek the support of other people who are also caregivers to understand how they communicate. Doing so will give you some handy communication and lifestyle tips for dementia and Alzheimer’s, which you might not have considered before.