Meaningful Ways to Help an Elder with Alzheimer’s Disease Leave a Legacy of Memories for Their Family

By Marlene Diaz | September 1, 2016 |

Elderly Care Shoreline WA

The journey with Alzheimer’s disease can be a challenging one for your elderly parent and for you as their family caregiver. While managing the changes in your parent’s cognitive and physical functioning that come along with this disease progressing, you must also come to terms with the reality that your parent will not be the same person for your children, grandchildren, and beyond that they have been for you your entire life. Adults with this condition often struggle with the idea of not being remembered by their family, or not being able to leave a lasting impression that will impact the future generations. You may worry that you will not be able to properly share the memories that you have and that the future generations will lose out on the wonderful person who you love so much. Finding meaningful ways to help your elder with Alzheimer’s disease leave a legacy of memories for their future generations can help to protect their mental and emotional health, and bring greater value and impact into your care journey with them.

September is Alzheimer’s Month. Take this opportunity to try some of these creative ways for your parent to make memories that you can share with the future generations of your family for years to come:

• Quilt. Find old clothing that your parent no longer wears, that belonged to their partner, or even that belonged to you and help your parent turn pieces of it into a memory quilt. Use permanent fabric markers to write who that clothing belonged to and a memory about it on the each block.

• Video memories. Record your parent in various situations so that your children and grandchildren can see their face and hear their voice. Try to record them doing the things that they love so that future generations can get a true glimpse of the person who they were.

• Prepare for the future. Encourage your parent to spend time making memories that they can leave with you to share with future generations. They can write letters to give to your children and grandchildren at various ages, purchase cards for events such as milestone birthdays, graduations, and weddings. This can create meaningful moments for you to share with these generations in years to come.

If your elderly parent has recently received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, now may be the ideal time for you to consider elder care for them. An elderly home care services provider is a fantastic way to extend the care that you give your parent, helping them to receive the support, assistance, and encouragement that they need while also maintaining as much independence as possible. The personalized approach to care that the care provider can give to your parent is about identifying their individual needs, challenges, and limitations and then addressing them in the way that is right for your parent. This can include doing special crafts and other activities that will not only support their cognitive health, but can help them to record their memories for the future generations of their family.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Shoreline WA, contact the caring staff at Hospitality Home Care today. Call us at (206) 966-6552.

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Marlene Diaz

Care Supervisor at Hospitality Home Care

Marlene brings to Hospitality Home Care's Care Supervisor Team an unprecedented level of passion for caring for others and a wealth of knowledge and understanding in the care services field. Marlene has worked in the healthcare field for more than 15 years in a variety of settings including, adult family home administration, home care HR supervising and working with specialty populations including dementia, mental health and developmental disabilities. Throughout this time Marlene has also maintained her caregiver credentials that she obtained as a teenager because, while her knowledge is best served helping to train caregivers and assist families to get the care they need, her heart is most fulfilled when she is providing care to others. When she is not in the office, you will most likely find Marlene caring for her family, or spending time with her friends.