Helpful and Fun Activities For Patients With Alzhemier's Disease

By Chris Ryerson

Alzheimer's is one of those diseases that no one wants to hear they have and often it can go undetected in the early stages. It is such a pervasive disease that will eventually debilitate almost every function and system in the body. However its progress and effects often develop over time. During the process there are many things that a patient can do to help strive off the progress of the disease. Keeping active and involved helps keep the mind as sharp as possible.

Alzheimer's disease is perhaps the best-known disease under Dementia, a disorder that affects the mental processes. It is characterized by the progressive loss of memory that may lead to inattentions and inability to focus at a task, language problems and behavioral changes.

Patients with Alzheimer's disease for instance may initially find themselves at a loss for words or unable to remember some bits of facts that happened the day before. But as the days progress, they will find themselves starting to forget important things like their addresses, their age and sometimes even their names.

Patients who are in the later stages of Alzheimer's will start to forget how to do routine things like combing their hair, reading the newspaper, or getting dressed. Some may start to lose parts of their speech and the clarity of their speech might drop. They will often forget the words that they should be using or saying. Some will also behave differently, brought on by the nuisance of not being able to do the things that they used to do. Often times, patients at the later stages will become dependents, acting like children who do not know what to do with themselves.

Although there are medicines that can slow down the progress of the disease especially if discovered early on, there is no solution to the problem. Once it settles into the system, it would be there for life and there is no chance of it ever disappearing. Like medicines, there are activities that according to scientists can slow down the progression. Below are just some of them:

Read A Newspaper of Book

Something as simple as reading the newspaper everyday and keeping your mind informed with the latest news is already something that can prevent the disease from settling in. Just make it a point to use your brain. Be an analytical reader and raise questions and do not just absorb the texts and then forget about it. Being an active reader and allowing your imagination free reign will go a long way for exercising the brain. In fact, studies have shown that people who love to read are less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Play Word and Number Games

Another mental exercise that people with Alzheimer's do to help slow down the process is to answer puzzles such as word hunts, cross words and even Sudoku. The more that you use your brain, the better will be your prognosis. Answering word games will also make sure that you practice words and increase your vocabulary, making it less likely for you to forget words and language.

Try Taking A Class

Being old does not mean that you cannot learn. Patients with Alzheimer's should make it a point to learn something new. This will exercise their brains. Creative tasks such as arts and crafts are another way to tap into the brain's resources without tiring them out. Learning a new thing also gives people with Alzheimer's the sense of purpose that they have lost since they were diagnosed with the disease.

For more great information on Living with Alzheimer's Disease check out our site chocked full of useful information.

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