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Alzheimer’s: What Not to Say

Alzheimer's Caregiver
[VIDEO] TIPS FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS & CAREGIVERS. The title says it all. Whether caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's or just visiting, be wise & avoid these phrases. (Video)

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Allie9780
Allie9780
December 31, 2023 1:24 pm

My 90 year old aunt always asks how is her husband, her parents, her sister, her brother. where are they? How are they doing? it would upset her terribly to say they have passed on/died. Now I just say that they are resting upstairs. We will see them soon. She is much happier with that answer. I think sometimes careful phraseology and small fibs are important to keeping them happy and feeling safe.

Unknown
Unknown
November 28, 2019 4:31 am

Thank you for that information I have a lot to learn.

Mrs Ramirez
Mrs Ramirez
November 26, 2019 12:36 pm

Thank you . I have early stage dementia. I hate it when family ask how I am .
Or tell me I did that already. .
Thank you

Unknown
Unknown
November 10, 2019 1:04 am

My mom lives with me and I go into her room every morning to get her up. Sometimes she knows who I am and sometimes I'm a complete stranger. If she doesn't know who I am she will usually ask who I am but if she is looking at me strange I will some times ask her if she knows who I am. I don't ask if she remembers, just if she knows me so I know if I need to introduce myself. I will sometimes ask if she knows who other people are, not if she remembers them, but if she knows them as if this might be the first time she is meeting them. When other people come to the house, I try to introduce them even if she has met them before. I once didn't do that and left a care giver with her who had been there several times before not realizing she didn't remember the woman and she was upset the whole time. I apologized to her when I got home and realized why she was so upset. It's hard, but I just try to pretend that everything is happening new each time. One of the hard ones is when she says she doesn't like a food that has been her favorite up until them.

Robert Chapman aka Bob
Robert Chapman aka Bob
July 26, 2016 12:20 pm

Thank you for that reminder. What I do with my visits to my wife is to be with her. That's the word,BE. What we can give them is our time, our love, the security of knowing someone is there for them. Thank you again.

Unknown
Unknown
July 17, 2016 8:56 pm

Bless you and your mother!

Jeanette Mitchell
Jeanette Mitchell
July 17, 2016 5:23 pm

As someone in the early stages of Alzheimer's, please visit, talk, hug,touch, call, and talk to us about memories, and listen to music with us. It all helps us get through it. God Bless you!

Anonymous
Anonymous
December 22, 2015 10:56 am

Thank you for your timely reminder……some days it's not easy but I'll remeber what you said x

Racher
Racher
December 22, 2015 3:37 am

Thank you for comments. The same good wishes are returned.

Ms. G
Ms. G
December 21, 2015 6:22 pm

Even if I don't say remember (fill in the blank) my mom will say you don't have to talk to me like I'm stupid, you already said that.

Unknown
Unknown
December 21, 2015 3:48 pm

So sweet! If I could, I'd like to add something. I have a sister who, when she sees my Dad, will look at him and in a very loud voice say, "What's my name? Do you know who I am?" I find this so frustrating and constantly tell her not to do that. They might know, they might not. Just enjoy the time with them! Hold their hand. They're frustrated, frightened and lonely. Just love them.

Marivi Galisanao
Marivi Galisanao
Reply to  Unknown
December 21, 2015 4:53 pm

I totally agree with you there

Anonymous
Anonymous
Reply to  Unknown
July 18, 2016 9:34 pm

When my 90 yo grandfather had Alzheimers, I made a long trip to visit him in hospital, knowing he wasn't expected to live much longer. He didn't know me (but I knew him!) and we spent a lovely 2 hours talking about his childhood and his early days at sea. He was happy and relaxed. Then my moron uncle arrived and said "Hello Dad, do you know who I am". I saw my grandfather become immediately stressed and shut down. If only we can get our own ego out of the way and think of the person with dementia who has enough to deal with without us making it worse!

Unknown
Unknown
Reply to  Unknown
September 1, 2020 6:55 pm

YES…oh goodness…so frustrating. I am so protective of my husband and don't want people talking about him or whispering behind our back about him.

Anonymous
Anonymous
December 21, 2015 2:54 am

Thank you.

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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