Dementia Patients Party Through the Night

My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, lives from Alzheimer's disease. We live our life one day at a time.

If you have been here for a while you might have read my article--A Wonderful Moment in Time--Mom Dances for the first time in years. These are the moments that most Alzheimer's caregiver are likely to remember. The moments that bring joy to the life of the caregiver.

One problem that can really send a caregiver on the path to depression is lack of sleep. Once an Alzheimer's sufferer starts getting up in the middle of the night a pattern gets established. This pattern is hard to break, and results in the caregiver suffering from sleep deprivation.

There is a solution that is being offered at New York City's Hebrew Home for the Aged. This one of kind program "caters to the nightly sleeplessness that can be caused by a combination of Alzheimer's or dementia and old age".

"Rather than fighting the inconvenient sleep cycle...Our philosophy is that we're engaging their behavior and we're letting it happen. So if someone wants to, you know, get up and walk and pace at 3 o'clock in the morning, we're going to engage that behavior because their internal clocks are so different."--Deborah Messina

If you are experiencing problems with sleeping you might want to read this article and incorporate some of these ideas into your own life. You have the choice--do nothing or try to change the behavior.

Personally, when I have a problem with my mother, I usually try to figure out a solution to the problem, instead of just doing nothing and letting it eat me up emotionally. I have learned that you can change the patterns of behavior by using a trial and error method. Here is one example--Alzheimer's Communication Tip--Touching Foreheads.

To continue reading--Dementia Patients Party Through the Night--go here.

One interesting aspect of this night care program is that it is supported by the state of New York, and is covered by both Medicare and Medicaid.

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Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room