Living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease does not mean that you stop leading a normal life. So, if you are affected by either of these conditions or if you look after someone suffering from these conditions, here are some useful guidelines. These lifestyle tips for dementia and Alzheimer’s can go a long way in helping you or your loved ones cope with these diseases.

If a person has dementia, they are likely to become agitated frequently. Tasks that were simple for them to perform earlier, become rather challenging as their condition worsens. To help them cope with these challenges better and to ease their frustration, there are some easy lifestyle tips for dementia and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease that you can benefit from:

1. Establish a routine
Help the patient establish a daily routine and make sure that they stick to it. Tasks like keeping up with medical appointments or bathing are simpler when a person is in a fresh state of mind. You should give scope for some flexibility on difficult days or when the patient feels like doing something spontaneously.

2. Give the gift of time and patience
You need to give them time to finish a task because it is expected and understandable that they might require more time. People with Alzheimer’s find it comforting when they’re doing familiar tasks or indulging in hobbies.

3. Support independence
Always encourage the individual to do as much as they can with minimal aid from you. For example, you can offer them choices; however, not too many of them. Instead of dictating what he or she should eat or wear, you can ask them to pick something out for themselves. By doing so, you give them the confidence to perform everyday tasks on their own without help.

4. Don’t overwhelm
It is important to create a safe environment so that patients do not injure themselves. Dementia is known to impair problem-solving skills in people. For example, people with Alzheimer’s disease can feel overwhelmed by loud noise or too many people, you should make an effort to keep these under control. Instead of shopping in crowded places, you can take them to small stores that are not very busy and stimulating.

5. Communicate clearly
You need to provide easy-to-follow instructions because individuals with dementia can only understand one-step communication.

6. Keep distractions at a minimum
Patients have to be kept away from distractions like the television especially during meal times as it can be difficult for them to focus on simple tasks such as eating. It is best to get them to interact with smaller groups as they can get flustered with larger numbers of people around them. The television must be switched off when the patient is engaging in other tasks as it can divert their attention.

7. Create an environment of safety and comfort
You should be prepared for sundowning because as the day progresses and it transitions to night, people with Alzheimer’s tend to get distressed easily. To help them, you can keep their rooms well-lit. In addition to this, allaying their fears, even if those are completely unfounded, comforts and helps them. Also, it is important to schedule their sleeping pattern as taking a nap too often during daytime can result in a restless sleep during the night.