|
Mild |
Moderate |
Severe |
Memory |
Recent memory loss |
Distant memory loss |
No apparent memory
Social behaviors forgotten |
Judgment and
Thought |
Appears absent minded
Poor concentration |
Decisions difficult
No complex tasks
Disoriented |
Little or no thought observable |
Moods |
Moody and withdrawn
Denies forgetting
Still emotionally "tuned in" |
Irritability, pacing
Night wandering
Misplacing and accusing others of stealing |
VERY irritable |
Language and
Communication |
Reduced vocabulary
Difficulty writing |
Understanding well when attending, but has poor attention
Slow or hesitant expression of thought |
Extremely limited
Words said have little to no meaning |
ADLs* |
OK |
Limited when tasks are complex
Cannot find toilet, etc. |
Little or none |
Motor Control |
OK |
Poor coordination/balance |
No independence |
| Approach in a slow, calm manner. |
| Maintain a pleasant, quiet environment. |
| Give positive responses to appropriate behavior. |
| Respect personal space - use touch discriminately. |
| Use humor with interactions. |
| Call residents by name and identify yourself by name. |
| Avoid confrontations and arguments. |
| Remove from group if behavior warrants it. |
| Use validation therapy when reality orientation is no longer appropriate. |
| Share non-verbal techniques that work with co-workers. |
| ...if my mood swings are directed at you. They are part of my disease and I can't
control them. |
| if I recognize you or that I should. To me, you may look like my husband, wife,
son, daughter, grandchild or old friend. Just be whoever I need you to be for the
moment. |
| if I need to be constantly reoriented with reality. In my mind I have created a
place and time where I feel safe. Let me stay there as long as I need to. |
| if I can see or hear, or perceive thing as you do. My peripheral vision is gone,
my depth perception is construed and I can no longer hear high pitched sounds.
Please approach me from the front and speak slowly, calmly and deeply. |
| if things smell or taste the same to me. I have lost almost all sense of smell,
therefore, my sense of taste has diminished too. |
| if because my speech is garbled or absent that I can no longer hear or communicate.
My eyes and body language are speaking to you loud and clear. |
| if I can sit quietly in a chair or lie in my bed all day. I have worked and been
busy all my life, so I'm used to being "on the move." Keep my environment
safe enough for me to wander and if I appear tired, remind me to rest occasionally. |
| if I need to be awakened and dressed to eat breakfast at a certain time. I will
wake up on my own when I am no longer sleepy. I ate breakfast in my nightclothes at
home and was quite comfortable. If I miss my hot breakfast tray, I would be quite
content with a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast, a little fruit, and a cup of coffee or
tea. I'm really not too hard to please. |
| if I need a bath or shower every day or even every week. I come from a generation
where not every home had running water, and if we did, we bathed Saturday evenings to be
ready for church the next morning. Please help me maintain my dignity by assisting
me when I'm soiled, but don't strip me and force me into an unwanted bath or shower. |
| if you can bladder train me or teach me to perform new tasks consistently. My
memory cannot retain this kind of information. It will only frustrate me and you. |
| if because I may be overly vocal or active that I need to be medicated with sedatives or
antipsychotic medications. If I am showing signs of depression, please help me.
But otherwise, please don't medicate my spirit. |
| if, because I keep taking my clothes off that I must have been a "flasher" in
my past or that I an too confused to know what I am doing. Because of my disease, my
skin can be hypersensitive and even the weight of my clothing can feel painful at times.
Please offer me a mild pain reliever (like Tylenol) to help me cope with this. |
| if I am a "dirty old man" or "pervert" if I try to make a pass at
you. In my mind I may see myself as being your age and may, at times, find myself
attracted to you. Please don't be offended. Politely tell me that you are
married or otherwise "taken" then have someone else give me care until my
behavior passes. |
| if I will be ready to go to bed as soon as dinner is over. Allow me the freedom to
stay up if I wish so I can feel like this is really my home. |
| if I am no longer capable of sharing love and affection. When you hold my hand, or
wrap your arm around my shoulder, or kiss my cheek and tell me you love me, it makes me
feel like I matter to you. |
| if because I have Alzheimer's Disease that I have nothing left to offer. Help me
celebrate my good points without being condescending and treating me like a child.
Give me tasks I can handle so that I will feel important. Treat me as you would your
own mother or father. Who knows...they may be me someday! |