Any ideas for a present for mum, suffering from Alzheimers?

[pinkhousesarebest]

Says it all really.What can you buy that would make a difference to someone who sometimes does not recognise any of us?

My Nan always loved getting soft toys. Or chocolates!

pinkhouse, maybe nice toiletries in her favourite scent?

I empathise with you, my dad has Alzheimer's, it is difficult.

a jigsaw

My Mum had Alzheimer's so big sympathy. I bought my mum cashmere bedsocks and music to listen to that had significance for her last present before she died. She couldn't eat by then and was bedridden, otherwise chocs would have been great. Jigsaws were good earlier on - and colouring books.

Maybe music from when she was young? Contented Dementia talks about surrounding those with dementia with objects from their youth.

Not that I pretend to know anything about Alzheimers, but what about a family photo album with captions including names, ages and the occasion. I know that one of my best friends mums has this disease and she often doesn't remember who is who, but then she does...
Photographs are a wonderful invention aren't they?

buy her something that's in her world. FIL likes things that connect him with his past - for him, it's farming.

We did try a photo album, but he just got upset and consfused when he couldn't identify DH or the boys. he much prefers to see us in person.

Pink, it's horrid, isn't it?

I'm a SALT and althoguh I don't work with elderly people, the concept of www.google.com/search?reminiscence resources is a big area.

Have a look at the stuff marketed by some of the companies I've brougght up on Google. Might be something to strike a chord with her there and get her to reconnect.

We got some old cine film put on video for my MIL, including her wedding. Whilst her short-term memory was useless, she really enjoyed the "blast from the past" type stuff.

Also, my FIL got her a keyboard - she enjoyed trying to play that. When she got really quite bad she still liked doing almost childlike crafty stuff (although she was an ex-reception class teacher so maybe that had some bearing!) Also listening to music was something she continued to get enjoyment from.

Sounds a bit odd but my nan's occupational therapist at her home arranged for boxes of misc objects with bits of different types of cloth and paper, small objects and pots, photos, etc, the aim being to have as many different textures and colours in there as possible. She said that her patients liked to rummage and discover things and handle the different textures. My nan really enjoys this, though she is very far gone sadly.

How about some very familiar books on tape ? She might enjoy listening over nad over.

My nan liked looking at flower books till quite late on and remembering gardens from many years ago

A photo album with old pictures of the family, labelled with names, relationship and occasion would be nice - but don't ask her who people are, or to relate them to the current time

It depends how much she is aware of, and how much she can remember, but in my mum's case photos just confused her and destressed her enormously because she realised that she should be able to remember these people and places but she just couldn't. Alzheimers patients do often like comfort objects, like wingandprayer suggests, but again I think it depends on the extent of her condition. My mum is in the last stages now, but when she could still communicate but not really read or write, she used to enjoy colouring books and paint-by-numbers type craft activity (nothing that required too much dexterity!)

This is a really sad thread. Sometimes we(I)forget how fragile Human Beings are...

Book tape/cd? - and a cuddly toy.....

Also to add, what were her hobbies before Alzheimer's?

My dad loved gardening, so I buy him little houseplants and potted flowers to put by his bed. He is awaiting a place at the moment and when he gets a permanent home then I'll buy him more.

The problem is that she was a woman who never made time for herself,never had any hobbies,unless you can include relentless cleaning. She did like shopping for clothes though,and that was the first thing I noticed to change,long before the memory problems started. I do still buy her clothes,but I think she hides them, they are never seen again. There are some great ideas here though. Right now my dad is really struggling with her, so I must order your book Extremely. She deffo cannot settle to do anything,like a jigsaw,of even watch telly.She is in a state of extreme agitation. It is a hideous thing.

My dad is a bit like that, regarding the clothes. He likes the bed opposite his and keeps going over there and leaving his belongings!

I know what you mean about hideous pinkhouses, a good word to describe it.