The Alzheimer’s Caregiver Main Menu
Created by experts in dementia care research, The Alzheimer’s Caregiver® is a comprehensive guide to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Caregiver is designed to help you navigate the daily challenges of caregiving at every stage. You can go through the lessons in order or search for a topic, or bookmark this page to return throughout your caregiving journey for guidance.
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Search below to find information on a specific topic.
Dementia, Delirium, and Depression: Similarities, Differences, and Treatments
Delirium and depression are commonly seen in those with dementia, but it can be difficult to distinguish the three conditions because they can have similar symptoms.
Dementia, Delirium, and Depression: Causes and Risk Factors
This program explains some of the most common underlying — oftentimes preventable or treatable — causes of delirium, depression, and dementia.
ADLs: Assisting with Bathing and Showering
Here are some strategies for making bathing and showering more comfortable for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
ADLs: Assisting With Dressing
There are many factors that can make dressing a challenge for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Here are some tips for assisting with dressing.
ADLs: Assisting With Grooming
This program will help you understand the factors that can make grooming challenging for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers; and provide strategies for assisting with grooming.
Caregiver Stress: Detecting Stress, Burden, and Depression
This program will help you understand the sources, symptoms, and effects of stress associated with caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the common symptoms of depression.
Caregiver Stress: Coping Strategies
Learn about various strategies that can help you manage stress from caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s, as well as about informal and formal support systems.
Sleep: Promoting Healthy Sleep Patterns
This program presents some principles and strategies for improving sleep patterns and for creating an environment that promotes sleep for those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep: Managing Nighttime Awakenings and Wandering
Learn about some reasons why people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awaken at night, as well as ways to prevent, manage, and improve home safety for nighttime wandering.
Sleep: Managing Hallucinations, Illusions, Delusions, Nightmares, Sundowning, Anxiety, and Depression
Learn about how issues including illusions, nightmares, anxiety, and depression can affect sleep in those with Alzheimer’s disease and discover strategies for managing them.
Guidelines for Improving Communication
Learn about the changes in communication associated with Alzheimer’s disease and how to improve communication with someone with dementia.
Using Communication to Manage Challenging Behaviors
Learn how to use good communication skills to help manage challenging behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease and about how to prevent care recipient abuse.
Activity-Focused Dementia Care: Meaningful Activities
The goals of this program are to help you define activity-focused dementia care, understand the value of meaningful occupation, and use different types of meaningful activities in everyday care.
Activity-Focused Dementia Care: Person-Centered Care and Environments
This program will provide a foundation for understanding the importance of relating activity-focused care to a person-centered approach, and how to modify environments to create the best possible occupational space.
Activity-Focused Dementia Care: Preventing Excess Disability and Difficult Behaviors
This program offers caregivers strategies for using meaningful activities to prevent excess disability, reduce difficult behaviors, and promote overall well-being of those with dementia.
Difficult Behaviors Associated with Dementia
This program will discuss various types of difficult behaviors often associated with dementia, the causes for these behaviors, and some strategies for managing them.
Managing Difficult Behaviors
Learn about some principles and strategies for preventing and managing difficult behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Early Stages: Family Involvement and Planning
Here is a brief overview of the changes associated with the various stages of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as strategies for family involvement in caregiving and care planning.
Early Stages: Intimacy and Sexuality
Learn about common relationship changes, and intimacy and sexual issues, that occur for individuals living at home during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Environment Issues: Designing Safe Environments
This program presents some principles and strategies for improving home safety and for designing safe environments for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Environment Issues: The Human Environment
Learn about why positive interactions are critical for good care of those with Alzheimer’s, and how to improve human interactions with and create comfortable environments for them.
Traveling, Driving, Holidays, and Special Occasions
Learn how to assess the ability of someone with dementia to travel, recognize the signs of unsafe driving, and navigate challenges associated with holiday gatherings.
Late Stages: Communication and Activities
Learn about the changes in communication capacities that occur in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, as well as appropriate activities to try at this point in the illness.
Late Stages: Hospice and Bereavement
This program discusses end-of-life issues during the late and terminal stages of Alzheimer’s disease, including hospice care, advance directives, and the bereavement process.
Late Stages: Personal Care
Learn about assisting with bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, and other ADLs in the late and end stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Late Stages: Behavior and Sleep
Learn about common behavior and sleep issues that develop in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as some principles and strategies for addressing these problems.
Managing Incontinence
Urinary and fecal incontinence are common conditions that can be controlled, if not cured. Learn how to identify the different types of incontinence and about the various interventions and treatments.
Nutrition
Learn some basic principles of proper nutrition and hydration for the elderly, and how to address the challenges with eating and drinking that often develop in late stages of dementia.
Memory Impairment: Risk Factors
This program provides a basic understanding of how memory works and discusses how physiological and psychological factors can interfere with normal memory function.
Memory Impairment: Prevention and Improving Functioning
This program provides a brief overview of how memory works and some strategies for preventing memory impairment and promoting a healthy brain.
Continuum of Care: At-Home Care with In-Home Assistance
This program presents some principles and strategies for meeting the varying needs in care during the early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease, including in-home care.
Continuum of Care: Adult Daycare and Residential Care
Learn about the care options often needed in the late and end stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and what caregivers should take into consideration when considering alternative care options.
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