Bringing joy to a loved one

Published on 21 April, 2021 at 11:46 am

Brightening the day of a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia can also bring you joy. Three family caregivers tell us about what makes their parents happy.

Visits and small attentions

For Joanne P., whose father Jean has moderate Alzheimer’s disease, the regular calls and visits are a source of happiness. “When we want to make him even happier, we go out for a drive or for ice cream. ”

For Robert, Brigitte’s father, the CHSLD organizes Facetime calls with his daughters and grandchildren. These are moments he enjoys, even if he doesn’t always recognize everyone. “And when I visit, he likes it when I bring him chocolate,” says Brigitte.

When Marie-Pier visits her mother France, connecting is more difficult. “Since she is in the advanced stages of the disease, I have to give her more time to get used to my presence. And little by little, with laughter – my mother has a great sense of humour – we adapt and do activities that she enjoys. ”

Adapted activities

“My father loves to look at the pictures on his digital frame. I describe the pictures he doesn’t recognize and he tells me the stories about the older ones. Reminiscing with these photos is a beautiful shared moment,” says Brigitte.

Jean likes to walk or play bean bag toss with his daughter Joanne. “We take advantage of his mobility to move around and get some fresh air. He also likes to watch movies, hockey games or Formula 1 races. »

As for France, she enjoys artistic and sensory activities. « We do watercolour painting, I have her feel textured objects,” explains Marie-Pier. And since she is a big fan of the Beatles, we listen to their albums and I sing to her. I can see in her eyes the emotion, the happiness that this moment brings her. ”

The caregivers interviewed agree that the presence of the family is a source of significant happiness for the person with Alzheimer’s. Whether it’s a visit, a phone call or a walk, taking the time to remind our loved ones that we are there is essential. Beyond the illness, there are precious moments of laughter.

A warm thank you to Joanne, Brigitte and Marie-Pier for their collaboration.