Alzheimer's Imagination, Manipulation And Trickery

There are many ways to get the person with Alzheimer's disease to do what you need them to do. Their lack of memory can work in your favor. If asking doesn't work try saying things like - remember you agreed to do this before you had your snack. Perhaps use - don't you remember you asked if you could do this earlier and I said you had to wait until I finished what I was doing. Well I'm done now so lets go do it.

In the earlier stages and into the intermediate level of Alzheimer's using remember works well. I think this is because they don't want you to know they don't remember. They are very good a hiding the fact they don't remember. I have seen many people talk to my mother and thought they were talking to a normal person of her age.

However if they had asked her to repeat what she just heard they would have realized how bad she is. Somehow they can give a proper response for the conversation. This is almost like a survivor skill. Not allowing the disability to show they are venerable and an easy target.

I've seen this in other people with Alzheimer's disease. I don't know how it works but I find it fascinating. Like some kind of innate primal instinct. This must be stored away in some yet not effected area of the brain to work this well.

I have also used - we do this every day about this time so lets get it done and we won't need to do it later. This type of thing works well when the person with Alzheimer's disease is forgetful but they can still understand what you say. The variations you can come up with are endless.

Imagination, manipulation and trickery are good tools to use when you use it the right way and for the right reasons. If the person with Alzheimer's stays focused on the issue try a simple positive diversion.

Like changing the channels on the television and then laugh like you see something that made you laugh. You can walk out of the room and turn around and come right back in singing a song as you enter. These little stunts make it hard for them to remember what happened a short time ago.

This doesn't just work when you are trying to get them to do something. It can be used to change an emotional or mental state they are in.

Remember even if they can't talk or understand what you say the may be very capable of picking up how you feel and they may turn on that emotion in themselves or feel they are the cause.

If they see you looking sad or angry or fearful they may become sad or angry or fearful. It can work the other way around too. So if you see they are in a negative state express happiness, joy, love and other positive energy and they will often begin to mirror you.

Do not wait until later to address the issue if they are having a bad time. Do it now. They may not have a concept of time and the way they feel right now is they way they think they have felt and will feel.

They may feel like they have always lived in fear and will always be in a state of fear. So take a moment of your precious time and transform their existence into the happy, joyful, fearless and loving world they deserve.