I know I typically write about special education classroom tips and plans, but today I wanted to write about my personal life. My mom has dementia. She has been slowly declining for the past 8 years. It is one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. It is like a constant mourning as we go through different stages.
Right now, I am trying to help my mom feel more at ease and comfortable with her daily activities and also give her more choices on what she may like to do. My mom has different family members caring for her, as well as a caretaker that comes 2 days per week. In order to help my mom understand who will be coming each day, I made her a daily schedule. Some people may be able to use a weekly schedule/calendar, but that is too confusing for my mom. We post this in the morning and look at it frequently. We also add items to the “I do” list. Some we choose (such as hygiene items) and some my mom chooses (like fun activities). There are different options depending on what you feel would be beneficial and what the person would be able to understand. I also took photos of the people who help take care of my mom and post that on the daily schedule. At the bottom of this page is a link to the schedules and visuals.
These are the visuals separated by to do (hygiene) and to do (hobbies/chores). You can use these anyway you want. I use the hobby pictures to allow my mom to choose what activity she wants to do. You can limit the choices if they are having trouble choosing. I laminated the pictures and schedules and post them in a central location so my mom always has access to them.
Here is the link to the visual schedules:
I hope these visuals are helpful for your family member or friend. As I navigate this with my mom, I am looking for ways to make her comfortable and happy.
