Forgetting important moments is an unfortunate reality for people with Alzheimer's, and that can be especially hard during the holidays, a time of year where lots of memories are made.
Clinical Social Worker Delores Kessel said, "While a person who doesn't have Alzheimer's can understand all the extra things that are going on with the season, a person with Alzheimer's may have lost their ability to do that and it just seems more chaotic and confusing."
But she said you can still enjoy the holidays if you have a memory loss disorder. Kessel said that keeping things as familiar as possible will help your loved ones.
Kessel said, "Now that doesn't mean that new people can't be added. If there's a new baby in the family or a new boyfriend, at least during the times that the person with dementia is present, manage the numbers of people, and manage the newness of people."
But caring for someone with Alzheimer's can be challenging too, and officials from the ADRC want you to make sure you're taking care of yourself as well.
Carley Prochaska, a dementia care specialist with the ADRC of Portage County, said, "Maybe if it's family or fiends that are coming, can they take over some of those responsibilities? If it's you're needing to go get gifts and you want to go by yourself, see if somebody can sit with the person you're taking care of."
Kessel also said that it's important to remember that family members with Alzheimer's are still useful and valuable members of your family, and to ignore stigmas that suggest otherwise.
Prochaska added that if you care for someone with Alzheimer's, there are plenty of resources available to you to remind you that you're not alone.
