Alzheimer’s Gift Guide

Aside from offering you the best selection of games and activities for Alzheimer’s, we want to help you choose the right gift for your loved one during the holiday season and throughout the year.

Our research as well as our experience have allowed us to create the ultimate gift guide for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Use our knowledge to help choose the perfect gift, and avoid gift-giving pitfalls. For example – a family photograph is a great gift, especially if it is nicely framed and presented. However, a recent photograph might not be a good idea for someone who is in a later stage of Alzheimer’s disease… Read Holly’s story here.

Holidays are for sharing. Sharing love, sharing camaraderie, sharing memories. Holidays are for other things, too, but it’s the sharing that makes a holiday memorable. Even though a person with Alzheimer’s disease has trouble remembering recent events (it’s the nature of the disease – read more), many can still remember things that happened long ago. This quirk of the disease is a good place to start when thinking about the right gift.

The Gift of Independence

Consider giving something that will make daily activities easier. This might not seem as fun as a game, book of beautiful photographs, or a CD of favorite oldies, if it gets her or him through the day without the need for help, it will be greatly appreciated.

Alzheimer’s Gift Guide—Independence

• Exercise Videos
• Mind Your Mind (Book)
• Day Clock
• Reminder Rosie
• Memory and Communication Aids (Book)

The Gift of Activity

Everybody wants something to do. That’s why activities are so important. It is wonderful when you find something that your loved one enjoys. If she is not in some way engaged, she might fall prey to the “Four A’s of Alzheimer’s”: Anxiety, Aggression, Agitation, Apathy. Remember that as Alzheimer’s progresses, one loses the ability to make decisions and therefore will not be able to decide what to do. It’s up to you to provide activities that are enjoyable and appropriate for her.

Alzheimer’s Gift Guide—Activity

• PicLink
• Puzzles
• Reminiscence Games
• Activity Books