Short Trips Can Stimulate Alzheimers Patients

Here's another great article on Alzheimers disease from one of our guest authors. We have written many articles on Alzheimers that you'll find elsewhere on this site, but we though it might also be useful to read what other people have written, hence this page. The more you know about this disease, the easier it will be to manage it. I hope you enjoy it. If you want to read more, click here...

Author: Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.

Severe degradation of short-term memory means that my father, an Alzheimer's elder, is seldom
interested in movies or books. And, although music used to be a source of enjoyment, he no longer
listens with pleasure. Left to his own devices, he sits. . .and sits. . .and sits unless he's sleeping.
What to do?

We've found that visually stimulating events often perk our Alzheimer's elder right up. So we've added
weekly, sometimes daily, trips, preferably four hours or less in duration, to his routine. These appear
to add to his enjoyment of life and stimulate him to the extent that sometimes he'll add spontaneous
comments to a conversation, a rare event nowadays.

Here are some of the outings that have added a little oomph to his life (and provided a short break
from the daily grind of caregiving):

IMAX

IMAX presentations offer stunning cinematography that grabs and holds attention. The presentations are
usually fairly short, about an hour in length, without a complicated story line. He enjoys the 3D
effects and has remembered these films for several hours after the fact.

RIDE THE RAILS

A ride on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail takes less than three hours when you board at one end of
the line and ride round-trip. In between, there are interesting stopovers, such as the West End, where
people congregate for restaurants and entertainment. We think he enjoys watching the people as much as
the museums and restaurants.

VISIT THE FARMER'S MARKET

Talk about visual stimulation! You couldn't find a place with more going on or more interesting things
to see. He loves the market, and, as a bonus, we're able to find really fresh fruits and vegetables and
flowers for the garden.

COMMUNITY THEATER

From time to time, community theaters produce old favorites that he still remembers. And the Grandbury
Opera produces farces that we can all enjoy together. Trips to small towns like Grandbury that have
preserved their history can supply openings to reminisce.

SHOP IN THE GROCERY STORE

If you'd never visited a supermarket, imagine how exciting your first trip would be! It's probably
quite similar for our Alzheimer's elder and never fails to amuse him.

VISIT A SHOPPING MALL

Bookstores no longer hold much interest for my father, but walking the mall provides lots of
opportunity for people-watching. He doesn't care much for exercise these days, so a trip to the mall
provides a built-in excuse for walking.

These particular jaunts might not work for your Alzheimer's elder, but they should fire up your
imagination.

About The Author

Phyllis Staff, Ph.D. - Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is
Yet.Net, an internet company that helps seniors and caregivers find trustworthy residential care. She
is the author of How to Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap for Elders and Those Who Love Them. She is
also the daughter of a victim of Alzheimer's disease. Visit the author's web site at
http://www.thebestisyet.net pando19@thebestisyet.net

So, there you have it... another useful Alzheimers Disease article, filled with insights, tips, and techniques related to caring for someone with Alzheimers. I hope you found it useful and informative. Keep checking back, as I'll be adding more articles to our library regularly.

You may also want to visit our Resources page, where you'll find links to some of the best Alzheimers resources on the Web.