Offer a sandwich that can be eaten while walking, Kitwood advises, or healthy finger food that's available all day. Perhaps nothing breaks a family's heart like seeing parents lose the ability to recognize their own children or grandchildren. You ride along with the feelings,'' Kitwood said. He doesn't pretend that's easy. The Bradford Dementia Group has developed a 15-week training course for families.
Many family members find it very difficult.
Kitwood doesn't put much stock in using tranquilizers and antipsychotic medication to control the behavior of people with Alzheimer's. Overmedication can worsen dementia symptoms and reduce the patient's quality of life, he says. Forcing people into a routine that doesn't suit them can create anxiety and withdrawal. Norman Gordon of Davidson is putting Kitwood's theories to work at Preston House, an Alzheimer's assisted-living home that opened this month on Charlotte's Davis Lake Parkway. It will take a maximum of 20 residents, with enough staff and volunteers to provide individual attention.