1920s

1930s

1940s

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Gifts for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease: Nostalgia Activity Books.

Mother began to tell more stories about her past and sometimes even thought she was there.  I started writing these down before they became lost to our family.

Mother had an accident with her car and I wouldn’t get it repaired, even though she pleaded.

Mother began to wear strange clothing combinations but we called it “setting a new style.”

Mother looked at me when hubby and I were laughing at something she’d done and remarked, “We don’t laugh enough, do we?” then joined in.

Mother couldn’t understand why I moved her to our home 275 miles away but decided she and her cat would stay for a visit…which would last for 8 years.

Mother escaped from the nursing home, hiding her suitcase outside the door, then was caught as she scurried across the parking lot.  “I almost made it home,” she said, thinking she was going back to her girlhood home.

Mother smiled as her great grandchildren enjoyed a tea party with her.  “Nice children,” she remarked, unable to decide who they were but finding pleasure in their visit anyway.

Mother thanked Jim and me for taking her out to the fancy restaurant when we dined in the nursing home reception room at Thanksgiving.

Mother celebrated her 90th birthday with three generations around her…daughter, granddaughter, and great grandchildren.  She had no idea whose party it was, but said the cake tasted good.

Mother celebrated her last Christmas…I sat beside her bed reading Christmas cards to her.  Did she realize who I was and why I was there?  I don’t know, but she began humming to the carols playing on the radio.

I remember these and so much more…some memories are bittersweet and others are joyous, but all are part of our Alzheimer’s journey together that bonded three generations and gave us memories of love and caring.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

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I Remember When…..An Alzheimer’s Journey

Exercise is another important component of staying healthy and depending on what stage of Alzheimer’s Disease the person is at, an exercise or fitness video might be an appropriate gift, especially if they aren’t able to get out and about due to weather…

Of course, it would be important to discuss this with the person’s doctor first to ensure that it would help and not impair the person’s health. Various other medical conditions could be contra indictive to exercive videos.

Resources:

Active Videos

Senior Store

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Gifts for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease: Fitness Videos/DVD’s.

How about a classic board game for the person with Alzheimer’s Disease?

It’s a known fact that engaging in mentally stimulating activities on a regular basis helps to maintain brain function. Board games can provide that stimulation.

And not only do the games provide mental stimulation, they also provide a bonding activity for the whole family. Buy a game and then plan on regular game days or evenings for the family.

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Gifts for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease: Board Games.

This video shows how it is made…

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Gifts for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease: Custom Jigsaw Puzzles.

I recently across this great article ‘Enhancing Life for the Older Adult with Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias: Some Gift Ideas’ by Stephanie Zeman Rn MSN that might help in your gift buying process.

Stephanie suggests you choose a gift based on what stage the Alzheimer’s patient is at. She breaks the stages down into early stage dementia, the moderately impaired, and the severely impaired and provides gift buying ideas for each stage. It’s an article worth checking out.

Meanwhile, I’ll be posting daily gift ideas all the way up to Christmas Eve, or until I run out of ideas…whichever comes first.

Please feel free to jump on in with your gift buying ideas…

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Gift Buying for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease.

It’s all part of an educational program that Joyce runs to teach children about aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, and to show children how to visit and have fun with grandparents with memory loss. This 45 minute program is aimed at chidren in the third to fifth grades and uses story-telling, singing, and role playing.

The program has been presented to schools and libraries throughout the country over the past six years. During this time, Joyce Simard has also created The Magic Tape Recorder, a book that covers everything in her presentation.

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Helping Children Understand Alzheimer’s Disease.

The fourth and fifth grade chorus members dressed in Halloween costumes and went on a field trip with their music teachers.  They visited four nursing homes within a 50 mile radius and sang for the residents and staff.

I’m sure those at the homes enjoyed the youngsters’ visits and their songs.  I recall how much such activities meant to the residents where my mom lived while she had Alzheimer’s. 

Mother, because she’d enjoyed her years as a school teacher, always had a fondness for children.  I remember her smiling face as she gazed upon my daughter and grandchildren (her great grands) whenever we visited and at other youngsters when they participated in activities there.

There may be ways, during the upcoming holiday season, you can organize events  to please yourAlzheimer’s  family member and other residents.

Let your imagine take over and see what ideas you can come up with.

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Plan a “Spooky” Gathering for Alzheimer’s Friends

As you can tell from the writing and art works that the students created, it was a great learning experience for them.

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Alzheimer’s Stories: The PALS Project.

Not wanting to lose his grandfather to the disease, his grandson Joel Reibert created a photographic tribute to his grandfather.

The photographs were displayed at the Bryan Alzheimer’s Research Conference in Durham, North Carolina March 1-2 2007. Here’s the video of the opening of the display.

You can also see Joel’s photographs of his grandfather here.

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Alzheimer’s Stories: A photographic tribute.