By Ben Rodgers
Editor
Christmas can be a challenging time of the year if you are celebrating with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Nationwide, the disease affects some 5.7 million people with more than 16 million people caring for those with Alzheimer’s.
In Wisconsin, there are 110,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to reach 130,000 by 2025.
Before he passed away, my grandfather, Gordon, had Alzheimer’s.
He lived with it for years, slowly losing his memories, and eventually his ability to talk.
Gordon was a public school teacher in Milwaukee. I remember his wealth of knowledge as I was growing up. In my young eyes, he was the smartest man in the world.
By the end it was all gone to us. We learned to love him for the twinkle in his eyes and the occasional smile.
Gordon would hold your hand tighter when he was excited, and once at the end, at my grandmother’s funeral, he even said my name for the last time.
This is difficult for me now just as it was for me then.
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you understand where I am coming from.
If they are in the early stages, you still can make memories with them this Christmas.
The Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Wisconsin provided the following tips to help ensure an enjoyable holiday for all.
Prepare Your Guests: The holidays are full of emotions, so let guests know what to expect before they arrive and tell them how they can help.
Suggest activities to engage the person with Alzheimer’s or best ways to communicate with them.
“Cross talk or simultaneous conversations can be challenging for people living with Alzheimer’s, so try engaging them one-on-one or in smaller group settings,” said Kate Kahles, outreach specialist, Alzheimer’s Association Greater Wisconsin chapter.
Build on traditions and memories: Take time to experiment with new traditions that might be less stressful or a better fit with your caregiving responsibilities.
If evening confusion and agitation are a problem, turn your holiday dinner into a holiday lunch or brunch.
Involve the person living with Alzheimer’s: Depending on abilities and preferences, make sure to keep the person with Alzheimer’s involved in the celebrations, such as packing cookies in tins or helping wrap gifts.
Plan ahead: When attending a holiday party, prepare the host for special needs, such as a quiet room for the person to rest when they get tired, away from the noise and distractions.
Adapt gift giving to ensure safe and useful gifts: Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia.
If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items people living with the disease can easily enjoy, such as comfortable clothing, favorite music, videos and photo albums.
The one thing I would like to add to this list is to learn to love your family member as they are now, and enjoy the fact that you get to spend time with them.
They may not be the same as they were, but it’s Christmas and there may not be another one with them, so please cherish it while you still can.