Senior Care News

Creating a Care Plan for Someone With Alzheimer’s Disease

Keeping someone with Alzheimer's disease occupied and in good spirits can be a difficult task. Creating a daily schedule may be the solution.

Home Care in Garden Oaks, TX

Home-Care-in-Garden-Oaks-TXFor people with Alzheimer’s disease, too much downtime can cause them to become bored, causing the elder receiving senior care to become agitated and difficult to care for. This unmanageable behavior can cause the caregiver to also become stressed and irritable. One effective way to change everyone’s mood around is by having a regular daily schedule that does not leave much time for your loved one to become bored. You probably already have a schedule set up to assist your elderly loved one in completing their daily tasks, such as  bathing, grooming, brushing their teeth, and going to bed, but incorporating activities, exercise, and other fun things to do together will keep them engaged and entertained, possibly helping them sleep better at night as well. Here are some tips to help you create an effective daily schedule.

Before creating the plan

People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia may have bouts of uncontrollable before and aggression, so give your schedule a little wiggle room for these unexpected behaviors. Also, creating the plan should be done with care in order to incorporate things your loved one would enjoy. Consider the following:

  • What do they like and dislike?
  • What are they interested in?
  • What time of the day will the elder function the best?

Regular daily tasks should also be included, such as housework, meals, personal care, waking and bed times, social and spiritual activities, creative activities, and anything else your loved one would enjoy.

Creating the plan

Every minute of the day does not need to be planned out; in fact, the elder you are providing in-home care will need some downtime and rest between activities. The following is an example of a daily plan that may work well for your aging loved one.

Morning routine:

  • Wash, brush teeth and hair, and get dressed
  • Prepare and serve breakfast
  • Do a craft project, read the newspaper, or look at and reminisce over old photos
  • Have some quiet time to relax
  • Work together to complete chores
  • Take a walk or other physical activity

Afternoon routine:

  • Prepare and eat lunch, wash dishes
  • Read mail, pay bills
  • Do crossword or jigsaw puzzles, watch TV
  • Take a walk, do some gardening, or visit a friend or family member
  • Take a break or nap

Evening routine:

  • Prepare and eat dinner, clean up the kitchen
  • Talk over coffee and dessert
  • Watch a movie or play a game
  • Take a bath, brush teeth, get ready for bed, read a book

Of course, you need to include activities that your loved one will enjoy. Also, keep in mind that every day may be different depending on the mood of your loved one, but this plan example should give you an idea of what to include in the daily schedule for you and the older adult you are providing elder care for.

Source

Alzheimer’s Association. “Creating a Daily Plan.”

If you have a loved one who could benefit from home care in Garden Oaks, TX contact At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.

Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Skip to content