There’s a world of truth in Maya Angelou’s quote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” And it’s not just true for those with highly functioning cognitive awareness, according to a recent study from the University of Iowa. The surprising results indicate that even those suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease are profoundly impacted by feelings, as outlined in the September 2014 issue of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, in which Alzheimer’s patients were shown clips of sad and happy movies and sustained states of sadness or happiness despite not being able to remember the movies themselves.
This indicates that, though patients with Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to remember recent visits by loved ones or even being neglected by a caregiver, those actions have a lasting impact on how the patients feel. According to the study’s lead author, Edmarie Guzman-Velez, “This confirms that the emotional life of an Alzheimer’s patient is alive and well.”
The compassionate and specially trained professionals at Live Free Home Health Care, a trusted provider of senior care in Concord and the surrounding areas, have an unrivaled depth of knowledge when it comes to caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Our top-rated services offer adult care from trained and Certified Dementia Practitioners, all of whom are skilled in the unique approach required to encourage those with Alzheimer’s. Let our team help manage behaviors such as aggression, frustration, wandering, depression, sundowning and more. If you have a loved one facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s, we’re here to help. Email or call us any time at 603-217-0149, or explore our free Alzheimer’s resources to learn more. To discover if our compassionate home care services are available in your community, please visit this page of our website.