ABC’s of Activities for Alzheimers

This book is an up-to-date guide to help anyone desiring to enhance the life of a person or persons affected with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. It provides self-help strategies for caregivers; techniques to improve relationships, tools to improve communication skills, methods to encourage pride in accomplishment and many ways to perk-up their lives. It describes in detail numerous activities designed to encourage people living with dementia to take part in activities. And it tells of several seemingly hopeless cases where, ultimately, an unhappy, angry and frustrated person transformed into a joy-filled, enthusiastic participant.

One of the biggest challenges providing care for a person with Alzheimer’s is witnessing the mental decline and changes in personality and behavior. As the person with Alzheimer’s declines mentally, looses function and awareness are often disturbing and difficult to handle. Each person being cared for is a unique human being with widely varying abilities background, and interests. People with Alzheimer’s are people to be loved. They are our mothers and fathers, our grandmothers and grandfathers.

Therapeutic activities that work for persons with dementia, it is not only what you do. It is how you do it that makes the difference! My activities are designed to enhance social skills, stimulate conversation and improve the quality of life for individuals at any level of dementia. Powerful techniques for caregivers that produce failure-free activities, motivation techniques that encourage and maintain participation

Often one must overcome barriers of mistrust, fear, anxiety, low self-esteem and self-confidence and resentment to implement a successful activities program. My approach to activity therapy can reduce the negative behavioral effects caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and have a positive effect on memory function. The practical and logical therapeutic activities described in this book can be easily adopted and enhanced to improve the quality of life for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Each approach is tailored to whatever mental and physical skills the individual still possesses and, furthermore, continuously enhances these skills. Many unique activities that are designed to adapt to any level of dementia for both men and women are described in detail with examples and pictures.