Can a Senior with Memory Problems Keep up with Daily Routines?

 October 17, 2019

Memory issues can seem to steal quite a bit of normal daily life from your senior. Even if she’s not experiencing the beginning stages of dementia, she might not trust herself or her environment as much as she used to. With routines and tools, though, your elderly family member can still find a lot of joy in every day.

Notes Can Help More than You Think

With memory trouble, notes and handwritten reminders can be far more helpful than you or your senior realize. Sticky notes on cabinets and on counters can offer the next steps. A notebook on the counter gives your senior a reference she can continue to refer to all day. Keeping your senior’s routine fairly similar from day to day really can help her to realize that it’s all going to be okay.

 

Keep Plenty of Time Buffers in Place

While a tight routine is helpful, you need to make sure that you don’t schedule your senior’s day too tightly. If you do that, you’re going to inadvertently put a lot of pressure on her and that can cause anxiety and other issues. Instead, leave a little bit of a buffer in between activities and tasks so that she has a chance to properly transition.

 

Alarms and Reminders Can Be Set on Repeat

Notes and time buffers help a lot, but if your senior forgets to pay attention to those tools, they might not help as much as either of you expect them to. Smartphones offer an opportunity to set multiple alarms so that your senior can plan her entire day in advance. Another tool that can help is an AI device, like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. This can help your senior to feel as if she’s talking to someone helpful, especially if setting actual alarms is technologically challenging to her.

 

Elder Care Services Offer Guidance and Help

Depending on the severity of your senior’s memory issues, it might be a great idea to have someone there with her. Elder care providers can gently guide your senior through her day, making sure that all of her needs are met along the way. This is especially helpful if your senior isn’t able to drive any longer and needs help with transportation.

As your senior’s memory continues to give her trouble she might find that life is more frustrating than ever. Having some of these tools in place can help her to get a handle on her routine now so that she can lean on it when her memory seems to be getting worse.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Pittsburgh, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202