Caring for an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia at home is a complicated process and requires a lot of work. Though every case is different and symptoms vary, here are a few concrete, general steps that should be taken:
1) Mental preparation: Inevitably, unexpected symptoms and situations will arise. When this happens, we want to be prepared. 
As soon as the diagnosis is made, family members should ask doctors as many questions as possible and keep in touch with medical professionals throughout the illness. Also, many family members find it helpful to thoroughly read books and/or web sites on the topic.
2) Emotional preparation: Know that dementia is a degenerative illness, and that your relative will not recover. That said, patients may still have years of life ahead, and there is no reason why this time can’t be happy, fun, peaceful, and relatively painless. Also, family members should be prepared to accept strange behaviors without hurt feelings. It’s common, for example, for an Alzheimer’s patient to confuse family members with other people, or to insult relatives for no reason. It’s important to keep a positive attitude, and to accept that these are not personal, but just a natural part of the illness.
3) Home preparation: Dementia sufferers do best in uncluttered, uncomplicated home environments. Room arrangements should be simple and unblocked by coffee tables or other unnecessary items. Everything the patient needs should be easy to find and within reach. Being able to navigate and to perform simple tasks without difficulty frees the patient to concentrate on other aspects of life.
4) Set up a routine: Patients may become confused and disoriented by unfamiliar places, people, and activities. Establishing a daily routine will minimize confusion and make it easier for the patient to perform many tasks for herself.
Finally, while there are too many potential manifestations of dementia to list them all, here are a few of the most common ones, with suggestions for how to handle them:
• Delusions: Dementia sufferers live in a reality that often doesn’t coincide with ours. As supportive family members, we should not argue or try to convince them that they’re wrong. The best tactic is to play along with their delusions whenever it’s not unreasonable to do so.
• Wandering: Patients sometimes come to think that there is something they need to do, which may cause them to wander around the house or, more seriously, wander away from home. Doors to the outside should be secured with locks on both sides. Within the household, place “Do Not Enter” signs on doors the patient should not open.
• Speechlessness: Dementia often severely affects the speech portion of the brain. If the patient stops speaking or speaks only rarely, don’t try to force him to talk. Accept that it may be permanent, and try to establish other means of communication.
• Paranoia and aggression: Often, these behavior happen when the routine is broken, though they can occur any time. It’s best not to make the patient feel that she’s wrong for feeling the way she does. Show sympathy, talk about what’s troubling her, and emphasize that everything is fine.
