With millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, those working in assisted living facilities in San Diego are doing everything possible to help patients and their families.
Apart from all the other devastating symptoms of this disease, the loss of memories is one that has deep effects on the patient and their loved ones. It is heartbreaking to watch as a beloved grandparent or mother or father forget their own children’s names, and–eventually–their own. There are few other diseases or conditions in the world that wreak so much destruction on the lives of those who suffer from it.
Researchers have discovered one thing that seems to help Alzheimer patients remember a little bit about the lives they led and the people they loved. Images and photographs seem to trigger some memories in much the same way that smells and familiar surroundings trigger memories in those without Alzheimer’s disease.
Assisted living facilities in San Diego are now encouraging Alzheimer patients’ family memories to bring in photographs and family albums during hospital visits. Though the memories triggered when Alzheimer’s patients view and organize photos probably won’t restore permanent memory to the patient, but the visit will be more enjoyable, and will likely help family ones cope better.
Identifying Things With Pictures
In assisted living facilities and at home, Alzheimer patients can be assisted with tactical image placement. When an Alzheimer patient can’t find their way around the room or house they live in, images can help alleviate frustration and confusion.
Another way that assisted living facilities are assisting in managing Alzheimer patients is by allowing family members to hang family pictures on the walls in frames. This can go a long way toward making the Alzheimer patient feel less alone, and more surrounded by the family who loves them, even when no visitors are present.
Family pictures that also have the Alzheimer patient in the photo are better than ones without, say the experts. This helps the Alzheimer patient to see, through the photograph, that they are known to the family, and are indeed part of the family.
Make Organizing Part of the Therapy
When thinking about helping an Alzheimer patient through the use of photographs and images, professionals emphasize that the organizing of the photographs can be part of the therapy. Putting together memory books and organizing them into a kind of image timeline can go a long way toward helping the Alzheimer patient map their way through the timeline of their life. So, in terms of bringing images to visit the Alzheimer patient, it’s more beneficial to bring a shoebox of pictures and an empty photo album than it might be to bring the images already organized.
Until a cure is found for Alzheimer’s disease, therapies like these, that the family members can be involved with, can only help to make the situation a little more bearable.
Atmica 