When a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, family members and friends may be unsure of how to react. Use the holiday season as a chance to tell them about the disease, its effects, and how to communicate with a person with Alzheimer’s. The following tips may help:
- Explain what Alzheimer’s disease is and how it affects memory and thinking.
- Ask them to avoid correcting the person if he or she makes a mistake or forgets something.
- Emphasize to not take it personally if the person does not remember them, is unkind, or gets angry. He or she is acting out of confusion.
Find more tips to help family members understand Alzheimer’s disease on NIA’s website.
