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Memory loss can be difficult to cope with and frustrating. However, there are strategies that you can use to help you manage your memory problems and help you stay independent for as long as possible.
Benefit: Pill containers make it easy to track that you are taking the proper medication at the appropriate time and in safe dosages. Blister packs
Benefit: By having someone else pre-arrange your medications into a container, you eliminate possible confusion of when a medication should be taken. Blister packs also make it easier to track that you are taking the proper medication at the appropriate time and in safe dosages. Calendar
Benefit: If you forget if the medication has been taken, or if the medication is taken out of the pill container or blister pack by mistake, the calendar will help you check if you have taken the medication and the time it was taken. Marking up your calendar can also reduce the risk of taking the medication twice. Alarms
Visual cues can be very helpful for remembering things. For example:
Your imagination is the only limit on how you can use visual cues to help you remember things! Notebook and pen
Write it down
Consider taking detailed notes of your conversations with other people
Keep belongings in one place
Have duplicates of items you use often
Flag emails
Ask for a reminder
As your dementia progresses and it becomes more difficult to manage the changes in your abilities, it's important that you record the things that make you who the person you are. All about me is a booklet that can help you tell others about yourself. Through All about me, you can focus on the positive: What you are good at, rather than what is no longer possible. After all, you know what makes you feel comfortable better than anyone. By answering the questions in this booklet, you will have a record of what makes you content and at ease. This will especially be helpful as your dementia progresses, as this booklet can be used when your primary caregiver cannot be with you and others need to provide care and support. Anyone can use this booklet to help you live the best day possible now and as the disease progresses. An editable PDF version of All about me is available for download, which allows you to type your information directly into the document. All about me (PDF) A fillable booklet to help professional caregivers get to know people living with dementia better.
Sometimes all people need is a “snapshot” of you in order to start a conversation. At just three pages long, All about me – a conversation starter is a shorter booklet that focuses on your needs, likes, dislikes and interests. Download All about me – a conversation starter. Whether you're completing the full booklet or the conversation starter, always keep in mind the main purpose: To give as clear a picture as possible of you. This will help others provide care when you, and others who support you, are unable to. How to use these booklets
Memory tips & tricks. Alzheimer Society of Canada. An information sheet for strategies to help people with mild memory problems, based on ideas and suggestions provided by people living with memory loss. All about me. Alzheimer Society of Canada. A booklet designed for people living with dementia to help them create a record of their background and what is important to them. All about me – A conversation starter. Alzheimer Society of Canada. A shorter tool that provides a “snapshot” of the person in order to start a conversation Shared experiences: Suggestions for living well with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer Society of Canada. This booklet, informed by the real experiences and advice of Canadians living with Alzheimer's disease, can help answer common questions and concerns about living with Alzheimer's. All About Me: Person-Centred Care. brainXchange, March 2014. This webinar discusses the importance of person-centred care and how the All about me booklet can help caregivers support the person with dementia through the continuum of the disease. Presented by Christene Gordon, Director of Client Services and Programs for the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories. Memory Work Out: A "By Us For Us" Guide. Research Institute for Aging. A guide with examples of cognitive exercises to help people with dementia develop and maintain regular “workouts” for their brain.
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