Although much attention is given to the negative emotions of patients with Alzheimer's disease, some patients become extremely gentle, retaining an ability to laugh at themselves or appreciate simple visual jokes even after their verbal abilities have disappeared. Some patients may seem to be in a drug-like or "mystical" state focusing on the present experience as their past and future slip away. Encouraging and even enjoying such states may bring some comfort to a caregiver.
There is no single Alzheimer's personality, just as there is no single human personality. All patients must be treated as the individuals they continue to be, even after their social self has vanished.
Appearance and Cleanliness. For the caregiver, grooming the patient may be an alienating experience. For one thing, many patients resist bathing or taking a shower. Some spouses find that showering with their afflicted mate can solve the problem for a while. Often patient with Alzheimer's disease lose the sense of color and design and will put on odd or mismatched clothing. It is important to maintain a sense of humor and perspective and to learn which battles are worth fighting and which ones are best abandoned.
Driving. As soon as Alzheimer's is diagnosed, the patient should be prevented from driving. One study found that more than half of elderly people involved in fatal accidents had some degree of neurologic damage.
Wandering. A potentially dangerous trait is the patient's tendency to wander. At the point the patient develops this tendency, many caregivers feel it is time to seek out nursing homes or other protective institutions for their loved ones. For those who remain at home, the following precautions are recommended:
- Locks should be installed outside the door, which the caregiver can open, but the patient cannot.
- Alarms may be installed at exits.
- A daily exercise program should be implemented, which may help tire the patient. One study showed that walking 30 minutes, three times a day, also improved communication.
- The caregiver should contact organizations, such as Alzheimer's Association or Medic Alert, for identification supplies and procedures that help locate patients who wander away from home and become lost.
- Some experts are discussing the benefits versus the ethics of electronic tagging, which would emit a radio signal or alarm that allows the patient to be tracked using a detector.
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