If you’re caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease, there are some things you can do to help support their strengths, assist with their overall health and wellness and delay the onset of further symptoms.

Keep Their Mind Stimulated

One of the best things you can do for your family member is keeping them mentally active. Continue to involve them in conversations, include them in family dinners and events and chat with them about their hobbies and interests.

Take the time to find activities they enjoy. This might mean playing a game of cards, watching a television show or simply going for a relaxing walk. Temper your expectations and avoid the urge to correct any misplaced words or memory errors.

Simplify Their Daily Tasks

Look for ways to reduce the cognitive demands on your loved one. This might mean offering to manage their household finances, setting up a meal delivery service so they don’t need to cook or shop for groceries or hiring a housekeeper to do daily chores.

Maintain Some Routine

People with Alzheimer’s tend to do best when they follow a predictable routine. If you’re living with your loved one, try to set a daily schedule and stick to it. This means eating meals at the same time every day, going for daily walks and minimizing disruptions to their schedule.

Use High-Tech Solutions

There are a number of electronic devices and apps that can be used to help family caregivers support their loved ones. Internet-connected cameras that you can view through a secure smartphone app may be a good option if you need to leave your family member alone but you’d still like to be able to monitor them.

You might also want to consider getting your loved one a senior-friendly cell phone that’s equipped with a GPS location tracking app. These apps let authorized caregivers and first responders quickly locate the cell phone user, and that can be especially helpful when supporting Alzheimer’s patients who are prone to wandering.

Another popular high-tech solution for those living with Alzheimer’s disease is a medical alert device that’s equipped with automatic fall detection and GPS location tracking. These devices are available as either a pendant or wrist-mounted button, and some of these devices include a caregiver app that you can use to monitor your loved one’s whereabouts, check their activity levels and add information about their medical condition and history.

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