1. Simple pleasures can bring great joy to a person with Alzheimer’s: Even the simplest activities can be enjoyable to people with Alzheimer’s. Ed was once deeply engrossed in examining a coat of mine that had numerous pockets. He spent 30 minutes with it. Another thing I learned is that — like all of us — people with Alzheimer’s usually enjoy receiving presents regardless of how big or how little. I gave one of my ladies a gift once. I told her it was just a small gift. She said, “I know honey, but it’s a present.
2. Pets, children, music and art may reach them on levels we cannot: I have experienced numerous examples of the positive effects these things can have on people with Alzheimer’s.There’s no question about it. Sometimes pets, children, music or art can bring about connections even with people who no longer talk and no longer recognize their loved ones.
3. What it means (and what to do) when they keep repeating the same story or asking the same question over and over: Ed and my ladies sometimes kept telling me the same story or asking me the same question over and over. They didn’t remember that they had just told the story or asked the question. What I learned from this is that the subjects of this repetition must be very important to them. It’s best to respond each time as though it were the first time.