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Making Your
Visits Meaningful
Courtesy of The
Alzheimer's Association - San Diego Chapter Newsletter
Guidelines
for a Meaningful Visit • Guidelines
for Meaningful Activities
A Few Possibilties for Meaningful
Activities
Visiting with someone you love who has Alzheimer’s Disease or another dementia can be challenging. You want to do all you
can to make sure the time you spend together is meaningful, enjoyable
and happy for both of you. Dr. Teresa Shanahan of Lifeline Healthcare,
Inc. recently shared with our program staff some guidelines for visits,
and some suggestions for structuring appropriate activities. We pass
them on to you, with our thanks to Dr. Shanahan.
Guidelines
for a Meaningful Visit
1. Avoid talking about health, food
or going home. Try to focus on observable things: for example,
the clothes your loved one is wearing, the flowers outside the
window, a book with pictures you can look at together. Validate
the feelings expressed – “I know you feel unhappy.
I love you!” (with a hug).
2. Focus on the “here and now;” don’t talk about a
previous visit that may not be remembered.
3. Realize that if he or she is angry,
it may not really be at you, but rather at the circumstances
of life.
4. Let her do everything she
can for herself.
5. Let him talk about “the good old days” – in fact,
encourage and participate in life review.
6. Don’t compare her to
another person who has Alzheimer’s Disease.
7. Visit outside the bedroom. Get some fresh air if possible; in any
case, visit in fresh surroundings.
8. Have a purpose for the visit, a task defined ahead of time. Take along
an activity you can share.
9. End the visit by redirecting the person’s attention to another
activity.
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