Mornings
Getting the morning right
Mornings set the tone for everything after them. A rushed, negotiated, confusing start tends to produce a difficult day.
Short answer
Same order, same time, same words. Reduce choices, allow far more time than seems necessary, and prompt one step at a time rather than describing the whole morning at once.
Keep the sequence identical
Curtains, then the bathroom, then dressing, then breakfast — whatever the order is, keep it the same every day. Sequence is remembered by the body long after it is remembered by the mind.
Prompt one step at a time
"Let's get your shirt on" is manageable. "Get dressed and then we'll have breakfast before the appointment" is three things and usually produces a standstill.
Leave a pause after each prompt. Processing takes longer than most of us allow.
Reduce the decisions
- Lay out one set of clothes rather than opening the wardrobe.
- Two breakfast options at most, or simply serve one.
- Keep the bathroom items in the same place, visible, not in a cupboard.
- Turn off the radio during dressing; background talk competes for attention.
Allow much more time
Rushing produces resistance, and resistance costs more time than it saves. If there is an appointment, start the morning an hour earlier rather than hurrying the middle of it.
A spoken cue to start the day
A short message at the same time each morning — naming the day, naming the first thing — is a reliable way to begin, particularly for someone living alone with early dementia.