Memory Care in Holladay, Utah | Spring Gardens

Alzheimer’s and dementia are progressive illnesses that affect the brain and a person’s memory. Alzheimer’s can be very challenging for everyone involved. However, there are a few strategies to help your loved one improve memory through their day-to-day life.

Establish Routines

Having a consistent routine each day can help those living with dementia remember what needs to be done. Routines exercise the brain and develop stronger mental connections. Try to fit in extra time between each event to avoid having to skip anything.

Trigger Happy Memories

Use pictures, songs, and memorabilia from the past to aid their memory. Familiar smells or other things can also impact the senses and help your loved one remember past events.

Use a Calendar

Using a week-to-view diary is very helpful in containing daily tasks. For example, the calendar can be a whiteboard hung in a suitable place. Write down a list of things to do or have done to keep a record. Cross off the day’s date to be sure of the date the next day.

Weekly Medication Organizer

A medication organizer helps keep track of the days and times you should be taking medication or whether you have already taken it.

Reminder Apps

Suppose your loved one has a tablet or a smartphone. In that case, you can download different apps on the Google Play store or App store and use them to help with specific tasks and reminders for taking medication or appointments.

Bullet Journaling/Scrapbooking

Bullet Journaling uses quick and short descriptions to keep track of tasks, take notes, and jot down thoughts. Sticking pictures or writing short sentences during the day can help your loved one remember what happened. They can check things they have in their journal to remind them of what they did in the past or how they felt about an event. 

Consider a Calendar Clock

Consider buying a calendar clock for your loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease. An automatic calendar clock is a favorite memory aid because it can remind your loved one of the day and date of the week.

Sticky Notes

Sticky notes are pretty self-explanatory and easy to place throughout the room to remember daily tasks. For example, put a sticky note on the door to remind your loved one not to forget their glasses or on the phone to remind them to call you when they get back to their room. 

Make Lists

Making a list of items to buy or things that need to be done is beneficial for memory issues. It helps remember what is necessary so that your loved one doesn’t go racking their brain. When you get an item, cross it off the list, so they do not become confused. Always write down all things that have run out in the room to include in the following shopping list.

Contact Numbers

Keep a list of contact numbers of important people such as family members, friends, neighbors, or doctors. Keep the list somewhere easily accessible, like a drawer next to the bed or a desk. It gives easy access to the important people to contact when needed.

Label Items

Label or tag items in the room to help remember their purpose. Labeling drawers and cupboards with photos and words describing the inside contents are beneficial and keep confusion at bay.

Support From Family and Friends

Have a family member or friends call and remind your loved one of the necessary things to do throughout the day. For example, going for an appointment, reminders for activities of daily living, taking medication, etc.

GPS devices

GPS devices and locators help find the location of misplaced items, such as a wallet or keys. Attaching small electronic tags to these easily lost items can help locate where to find them quickly. All you need to do is click a button on the locator device to make the tag beep.

There are many forms of dementia, and people remember things differently. Some of these tips will be more effective than others. It’s important to try each method and determine which strategies are best for your loved one’s needs. However, Alzheimer’s symptoms can progress or change over time, so something effective today might change in the future.

Come See Our Memory Care in Holladay, Utah

Spring Gardens Senior Living offers memory care in Holladay, Utah. We have a specially trained team that provides memory care services and specialized care for your loved one with dementia.