Alzheimer's is a terrible disease of the mind. It affects the memory, both short and long term, making daily activities difficult for both the person suffering and their caregivers. It can be difficult for an Alzheimer's patient to remember someone, even their own spouse. Caring for an Alzheimer's patient can be a tough job. Use the tips below to help you care for your loved one suffering from this awful disease.

Reduce Distractions

Background noises can be a distraction for an Alzheimer's patient. When speaking to someone with this disease, turn off all distractions such as radios or the television. This will help the person focus better on speaking with you. Also reduce distractions while the patient is eating a meal. They need to focus on eating, not on anything else. Eating may take much longer with an Alzheimer's patient, but it can take even longer with distractions.

Stick To A Routine

Staying on a routine with an Alzheimer's patient will help reduce confusion. This can make the day less confusing for the patient and help make the day a bit more predictable for the patient. You may not be able to structure the entire day the same, but you can keep mealtimes the same, wake up times, and bed times the same. Days that you run errands can be kept the same as well. This can all help an Alzheimer's patient.

Make Your Home Safe

Organize your home with labels to help the person suffering find items a little easier. You should also clean out your home and keep clutter out to reduce the chance of a fall and to make your home safer for the patient. Safety is important for for an Alzheimer's patient, especially if they try and cook themselves a meal and then forget about what was on the stove. Use child locks on the stove, and lock up anything that could be potentially dangerous for the person. Child locks on doors or using a security system can also help prevent the patient from leaving the house without you knowing.

If you are caring for someone that is suffering from Alzheimer's, then you already know how tough this can be. Use the tips above to help you care for your loved one. When caring for the patient becomes too much, a nursing home or an assisted living center, like Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living, may be a better option to keep this person safe and to ensure proper car.