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Hernando Today

Don't Turn Off the Light

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By GARY JOSEPH LeBLANC

Common Sense Caregiving

Published: February 26, 2009

Updated: 03/09/2009 05:52 pm

As my dad's Alzheimer's progresses he insists on sleeping with a light on in his room. I'm not talking about a night light, but one bright enough to read a pocket-size dictionary. By having his room glaring it's easier for him to calculate his surroundings. After all, as an Alzheimer's patient he might start his day not realizing whose house he's in.
I've placed family photos on the wall beside his bed. This is to familiarize and comfort him when he first opens his eyes. Photo albums are a great thing to have lying around the home of an Alzheimer's patient. My dad spends hours flipping through the pages of old photographs; not always remembering the faces from his past but somehow definitely attaining solace in times of confusion.
Even waking from a catnap being taken in his recliner it's difficult for him to get his bearings. Try not to change his surroundings. Redecorating their home or changing an art piece on the wall can disorient them severely. Just last night Dad asked me why someone removed the bed from his room. The only change was clean sheets and a heavier blanket. Minor changes that you normally wouldn't even consider can send them into a state of confusion. It can even cause hallucinations. So keep things simple and well lit. They need their surroundings to remain unchanged.

Gary Joseph Le Blanc is the primary caregiver of his father who has been stricken with Alzheimer's disease for more than 8 years. He can be written c/o Hernando Today at 15299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613 or e-mailed at us41books@bellsouth.net.

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