If you’re going to be visiting a senior parent with Alzheimer’s and that parent usually has Alzheimer’s care the Alzheimer’s care provider can be a big help in making the visit go smoothly. Because the Alzheimer’s care giver knows your senior loved one and works with them daily they will be a great source of information on how best to interact with your senior parent. But in general when you visit a senior parent or loved one with you should always:
Introduce Yourself
Your senior loved one may not recognize you. It can be awkward for both of you if you are warmly greeting your senior parent and they don’t return the greeting because they don’t know who you are. Always walk up to your senior parent and after you say hi say who you are and wait for them to recognize you, then you can ask for a hug or a handshake. But give them an extra beat to remember you and don’t feel bad if they don’t remember you without any prompting.
Bring Something To Build A Connection
Starting a visit with a senior parent who has Alzheimer’s can be very awkward. They may not be able to follow what you’re saying, which can make a conversation difficult. It helps if you bring something tangible that they can focus on and that the two of you can talk about. For example, if you bring in a favorite scarf you can talk with them about the colors in the scarf. Or if you bring in a photo book full of family photos you can go through the photos together. Having something that you can do together fills in any gaps or awkwardness in the visit.
Stay In The Moment
It can be tempting to bring up memories from the past and reminisce about them, but that’s not good for your senior parent. Some of the memories you have haven’t happened yet in the timeline inside your senior loved one’s brain. And others are gone from their memory forever. But if you ask a leading question like “Do you remember when x happened?” and they don’t remember they can feel like they’ve done something wrong and get upset. Or they might get upset because they don’t remember that time. Stay in the present moment and spend your visit working on puzzles or doing some kind of activity.
Keep Your Tone And Body Language Friendly And Approving
Your senior parent probably won’t understand a lot of your words. But they will instantly pick up on y our body language and how you speak. Keep your tone and your body language positive and friendly. Remember that your senior parent will be looking to your tone and body language for cues about their behavior. Keeping your tone and body language friendly will reassure you senior loved one that everything is ok. If you are irritated or short of patience they will sense that and feel like you are mad at them or that they’re in trouble.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in West Chester, PA please contact the caring staff at Harmony Companion Home Care today. (610) 910-6015
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