Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care

A structured daily routine is essential in Alzheimer’s and dementia care, as it helps reduce confusion, supports independence, and eases caregiving. While each person’s experience is unique, predictable symptoms and stages allow caregivers to plan effectively. Consistency in daily activities such as meals, hygiene, and rest promotes comfort, reduces anxiety, and can improve behavior. Flexibility and meaningful engagement are key to adapting routines as the disease progresses.

Developing day-to-day routines

Having a general daily routine in Alzheimer’s and dementia care helps caregiving run smoothly. These routines won’t be set in stone, but they give a sense of consistency, which is beneficial to the Alzheimer’s patient even if they cannot communicate it.

• Keep a sense of structure and familiarity. Try to keep consistent daily times for activities such as waking up, mealtimes, bathing, dressing, receiving visitors, and bedtime. Keeping these things at the same time and place can help orient a person.
• Let the person know what you expect, even if you’re not sure he or she completely understands. You can use cues to establish the different times of day. For example, in the morning, you can open the curtains to let sunlight in. In the evening, you can put on quiet music to signal bedtime.
• Involve the person in daily activities as much as they are able. For example, a person may not be able to tie their shoes but may be able to put their clothes in the hamper. Clipping plants outside may not be safe, but the person may be able to weed, plant, or water. Use your best judgment as to what is safe and what the person can handle.

Communication tips

• As the individuals with Alzheimer’s progress, you will notice changes in communication. Trouble finding words, increased hand gestures, easy confusion, and even inappropriate outbursts are all normal. Here are some dos and don’ts on communicating:
• Use distractions or fibs if telling the truth will upset the person with dementia. For example, to answer the question “where is my mother?” it might be better to say, “She’s not here” rather than “she died 20 years ago”.
• Use repetition as much as necessary. Be prepared to say the same things over and over, as the person can’t recall them for more than a few minutes at a time.
• Use techniques to attract and maintain the person’s attention. Smile, make eye contact, use gestures, touch, and other body language.

Dos & Don’ts

Do:

• Avoid becoming frustrated by empathizing and remembering that the person can’t help their condition. Making the person feel safe rather than stressed will make communication easier. Take a break if you feel your fuse getting short.

• Keep communication short, simple, and clear.  Give one instruction or ask one question at a time.
• Tell the person who you are if there appears to be any doubt.
• Call the person by name.
• Speak slowly. The person may take longer to process what’s being said.
• Use closed-ended questions that can be answered yes or no. For example, did you enjoy the beef at dinner?
• Find a different way to say the same thing if it wasn’t understood. Try a simpler statement with fewer words.

Don’t:

• Ever say things like: “Do you remember?”  “Try to remember”, “Did you forget?”  “How could you not know that?”
• Ask questions that challenge short-term memory, such as, "Do you remember what we did last night?" The answer will likely be “no”, which may be humiliating for the person with dementia.
• Talk in paragraphs.  Instead, offer one idea at a time.
• Point out the person’s memory difficulty.  Avoid remarks such as “I just told you that”. Instead, just repeat it over and over.
• Talk in front of the person as though they were not present. Always include the person in any conversation when they are physically present.
• Use lots of pronouns such as there, that, him, her it. Use nouns instead. For example, instead of "sit there," say "sit in the blue chair".
• Use slang or unfamiliar words. The person may not understand the latest terms or phrases.
• Use patronizing language or baby talk. A person with dementia will feel angry or hurt at being talked down to.
• Use sarcasm or irony, even if meant humorously. Again, it can hurt or cause confusion.