Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Tips to Caring for Residents with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that causes dementia symptoms that gradually worsens over time. Dementia is a term used to describe memory loss and cognitive disabilities that interfere with activities of daily living. It is an irreversible, progressive loss of mental function, such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communicating. Residents with dementia lose the ability to make judgements, comprehend, learn, carry out tasks, and memory. Dementia leads to confusion, where individuals forget who they are and, or cannot recall current events. In later stages of dementia residents often become paranoid, agitated, and depressed. As we age, our brain slowly loses the ability to think logically and quickly. However, it is important to understand that dementia is not a normal part of aging. A sudden change in mental status such as confusion should alert you that something else may be affecting the resident such as low blood sugar, dehydration, infection, or medications. Your manager should be notified if your resident has a sudden change in mental status.

Advancing age is a high-risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, affecting most individuals 65 years or older. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this progressive disease, and it is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. However, there are treatments that can slow the progression of symptoms. 

Perhaps one of the most challenging and difficult aspects of caring for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia is communication. Having a positive attitude can assist with the care of residents diagnosed with dementia. The following strategies can assist you with communicating with your dementia clients. 

6 Tips to Caring for Residents with Alzheimer’s Disease

Tip 1: Do not take things personal.

Individuals with dementia do not have control over their words or actions and are often unaware of what they say or do. Try to put yourself in their shoes. Think about what it would feel like to have this diagnosis and how frustrating it could be to communicate and depend on others for ADL.

Tip 2: Use a calm voice and positive body language

If the resident is frightened or anxious, remove noises or distractions, such as TVs or radios or move them to a quiet room. Make sure that you are not tense or hurried. Use gestures and pictures if the resident does not understand. Use touch, smile, hugs, and laughter. Even after a resident’s speaking ability declines, these gestures will be understood and show love and concern.

Tip 3: Repeat yourself multiple times.

Use the same word when repeating yourself. If the client does not understand the word, try a similar word.

Tip 4: Redirect behavior.

If the resident hallucinates or becomes paranoid, redirect the behavior, or ignore it. This behavior often passes quickly.

Tip 5: Don’t stop preservation.

Many residents with Alzheimer’s Disease will repeat words, phrases, questions, or actions. Don’t stop them, answer the questions using the same words each time until he or she stops. The repetition is soothing for these individuals. 

Tip 6: Look out for signs of depression.

If a resident is depressed, implement one on one time with the resident to ask about his or her feelings and listen. Try to involve residents in activities and report signs of depression to the nurse or manager.

Inecia Stewart, MSN, CCRN, RN-BC