Five tips for caring relatives

Oct. 24 – NEW YORK – With Halloween just a week away, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) offers five tips for family caregivers to help their loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases feel comfortable and safe.

“Halloween is full of scary sights and scary sounds, which present additional challenges for people with dementia. That’s why it’s so important to be a proactive caregiver,” said Jennifer Reeder, LCSW, SIFI, AFA director of educational and social services, in a press release. “Following a few quick and easy steps can help someone living with dementia keep the ‘happy’ in ‘Happy Halloween’ on October 31st.”

AFA recommends family caregivers consider the following five tips:

— Avoid interactive or scary decorations. Decorations that talk or scream when someone walks by can be distressing for people with dementia. The sights and sounds of loud decorative figures and decorations with flashing or flickering lights can cause the person to wander and possibly leave their own home. Fake skeletons, spider webs, witches, and monsters, even when not interactive, can potentially be disturbing to someone with a cognitive impairment because they perceive them as real. Stick with more neutral seasonal decorations like pumpkins or fall leaves.

– Help the person relax. Halloween is full of distractions and stimuli, such as costumed strangers running around and loud noises, which can be disturbing or frightening for people with dementia. Playing calming music, engaging in a calm activity such as reading a book together, and calming down are all ways to help your loved one when they are anxious.

— Customize the celebration. Replace sweets with fruit or another healthy snack. Too much sugar intake could increase restlessness. Reminisce by looking at old family photos of Halloween events, painting pumpkins together, or watching a non-threatening show about Halloween if the kids want to join in. Focus on what the person can and wants to do now, rather than what they did before the onset of dementia.

— Don’t leave your loved one alone to hand out candy. Constantly having strangers in costumes knocking on the door can be potentially frightening, confusing and disruptive to someone suffering from dementia. It can also pose a security risk. If the person wants to join in handing out candy, ask someone to help or arrange for the person to go to a relative or friend’s house to trick-or-treat. Never invite trick-or-treaters into the house unless the person knocking is someone you know.

– Leave the lights on in your home. A dark home gives the impression that no one is inside, making it more attractive to burglars or vandals. Let the indoor and outdoor lighting shine. Have candy available for trick-or-treaters outside your door with a sign that says “Please Take One.”

Families with questions about caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease can contact the AFA Helpline by phone (866-232-8484), text (646-586-5283) or web chat (www.alzfdn.org). to speak with a licensed social worker. The helpline is open seven days a week.