Ace has drawn up a ten-point list of recommendations for the families of people with dementia who are physically distant.

Advice for family members who are physically distant from a person with dementia

Experts recommend that carers of people with Alzheimer’s who live remotely take steps to detect changes in their behaviour.

• Establishing routines, maintaining safety and building networks with neighbours and friends are some of the guidelines experts advise for carers who are not physically close to the person with dementia.
• Ace also suggests making use of new technologies to actively monitor those affected, despite the geographical distance.

The professionals at Ace, a centre dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, research and awareness of Alzheimer’s, recommend that carers of people with dementia who are not physically close to the person affected establish various mechanisms to ensure their safety and to detect any changes in their behaviour.

Amèrica Morera, Deputy Director of the Day Care Unit at Ace, highlights that it is, above all, ‘it’s about learning to observe, that is to say, being able to provide continuous supervision of the person through regular routines that help us assist them as they lose their autonomy and need more and more help in their day-to-day lives.’

It is precisely with the aim of offering guidelines to carers for managing this situation that the Foundation itself has drawn up a ten-point list of recommendations to make their task easier.

Among the tips offered are everything from organising a routine and simplifying the environment to providing support in managing the household budget or assistance with diet so that the affected person’s meals are varied and balanced.

Experts also warn of the importance of keeping track of medication due to the risk that a person with Alzheimer’s may forget to take a dose or, conversely, take it twice. Emphasis is also placed on the need for the person with dementia to be accompanied to medical appointments in order to accurately understand the professionals’ diagnosis.

Finally, the possibility of creating networks with people in the vicinity (friends, neighbours, local shops, medical centre staff, etc.) is also explained, so that they can detect changes, help the person if they become disoriented, or be made aware if there is a change in their usual routines.

New technologies, allies in the fight against illness

Among the tools the Foundation recommends adopting is making use of new technologies (telephone, WhatsApp, video calls, etc.) to overcome geographical distance.

The organisation has opted to make use of the resources these offer, not only for research but also to make them available to carers as support in facing this task. In advanced stages of the illness, tele-assistance or the use of geolocation for external outings can be of great use.

Download the ten-point guide