How to Choose a Christmas Gift for an Alzhiemers Patient

Buying Christmas presents should be a joy and not a burden. Finding the perfect gift for your loved one takes a lot of thought and care. When buying presents for a person with Alzheimer's, finding the appropriate gift requires even more consideration. Gifts change as the illness progresses. With a few suggestions, buying presents for a loved one with Alzheimer's is easy.

1. Consider where your loved one is in the disease process. If they have just been diagnosed, gift giving may remain the same. During middle stages of the illness, gifts that encourage memory can be given. Create calendars with pictures of loved ones for a person in this stage of the illness. Many photo shops create calendars that include personal pictures. If your loved one is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, gifts that make them comfortable might be more appropriate. Purchase a bath robe or cozy blanket.

2. Purchase gifts that are not complicated. Kits that require assembly, those needing to be put together or presents with excessive moving parts will confuse a person with cognitive disabilities. Avoid giving electrical gifts and those requiring programming. Buy gifts that do not frustrate your loved one.

3. Gift certificates and money usually make great Christmas presents. For a person with advanced Alzheimer's, these presents might not be appropriate. A person with cognitive problems has difficulty budgeting money. Instead of gift cards or cash, purchase a certificate to their favorite restaurant. Allow a loved one to manage the certificate.

4. Purchase gifts that encourage memory. Books, simple crossword puzzles or games enhance memory retention while being fun. Avoid lengthy books or complicated games. Games that encourage memory recall are great, such as Scrabble or Pictionary. These games can be adapted to different cognitive levels by changing a few simple rules. For example, Scrabble might be played with five letter tiles instead of seven.

5. Give a music gift. Research has shown that music encourages cognitive function and calms a person. Remember to keep the music choices to the genre the loved one enjoys. Severely mentally challenged children and adults often respond to music, even though they can not talk. The same is true for adults with cognitive disabilities.

With some planning and careful consideration, gift giving is easy for a person with Alzheimer's. Above all, enjoy the holiday with your loved one. Make the season joyful for them and others joyful. After all, the importance of Christmas is being together, not how many presents are under the tree.