Finding Connection and Joy While Living With Alzheimer’s

When we talk about Alzheimer’s disease, the conversation often focuses on what changes: memories, routines, independence and relationships.

Those changes are real. But they are not the whole story.

People living with Alzheimer’s are still people with interests, personalities, preferences, humor and a desire to feel connected to the world around them. And while connection may look different as the disease progresses, meaningful moments can still happen every day.

This Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we asked Arosa Care Managers who work closely with individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to share what their clients have taught them about finding joy, staying connected and appreciating the moment in front of us.

The Person Is More Than Their Memories

One of the most important shifts families can make is focusing not only on what has changed, but on the person who is still right in front of them.

Emily Tokarz, Care Manager with Arosa Chicagoland – Skokie, says working with people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia has changed the way she thinks about being present.

“My clients living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia have taught me how important it is to enjoy the current moment in front of us. They are more than the memories they have lost and deserve to be celebrated for the person they are today!”

That perspective can be powerful for families. A loved one may not remember yesterday’s conversation or an experience you shared together, but that doesn’t mean the experience itself wasn’t valuable.

A laugh still matters. A favorite song can still be enjoyed. A walk outside can still feel good. A conversation can still create connection — even if the details of that conversation aren’t remembered tomorrow.

Keep Doing What Brings Them Joy

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t mean the things someone has always loved suddenly stop mattering.

Instead, activities may need to evolve alongside the person.

Emily encourages families to continue looking for ways their loved one can participate in the hobbies and interests that have been meaningful throughout their life.

“If your loved one was an avid artist, encourage them to continue to create. Adapt the activity to their level of functioning as their abilities change, but continue to offer those pockets of peace.”

The finished painting isn’t necessarily the point. Neither is completing an activity exactly as someone once did.

Sometimes, it’s simply about giving someone the opportunity to experience something familiar and enjoyable.

As Emily puts it, “While their cognition and memory are changing, their need for joy and connection does not.”

Joy Can Still Mean Adventure

For some people, living well means staying active and saying yes to new experiences.

Debbie Collins, RN Care Manager with Arosa Reno, sees that firsthand with Terri, a 73-year-old client living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Terri walks her dogs twice a day and, according to Debbie, greets every dog she encounters at the dog park with “love and kindness.” She’s also not one to turn down an adventure.

With support from her caregivers, Terri has experienced the Reno Rib Cook-Off, skiing at Northstar, Wild Island Water Park, comedy shows, shopping trips and other outings around Northern Nevada.

And when someone asks how she’s doing?

Terri’s answer, delivered in what Debbie describes as her sweet Southern voice, is simple: “I surely cannot complain.”

It’s a wonderful reminder that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean life becomes confined to the home or stripped of new experiences.

With appropriate support, familiar faces and activities tailored to the individual, there can still be plenty to look forward to.

Sometimes Connection Is Found in Familiar Places

Joy doesn’t always have to mean a big outing.

Sometimes it’s sitting in your favorite chair and looking around the room.

Debbie also works with a client , a former teacher and librarian who has traveled extensively and is living with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Her Reno home is filled with beautiful photographs and paintings of Nevada wildlife — birds, coyotes, bears and fish.

Debbie’s client  shared something with her that beautifully illustrates how our surroundings can continue to provide comfort and connection:

“When she looks about her from her recliner in the living room, she can pretend she is in one of our mountain forests and she feels at home.”

For families, that can be an important reminder. Familiar photographs, artwork, music, objects, scents and surroundings aren’t merely decorations. They can be connections to someone’s interests, experiences and sense of self.

Music, Stories and the Things We Carry With Us

Debbie has seen another kind of connection through her client Robert, who has experienced memory decline for many years.

During his time in the service, Robert traveled around the world and collected music from many countries. That love of music remains something he can share with the people around him.

On one occasion, Robert played Debbie a rhythmic African song several times until she understood what the singer was communicating.

“Once you understand he is repeating the same warning, you will understand what he means — he is saying look out for the lion, and he means it.”

It’s a small interaction, but that’s exactly what makes it meaningful.

Robert wasn’t simply listening to music. He was sharing something he knew, explaining it and bringing another person into an experience that mattered to him.

Alzheimer’s and dementia may affect memory, but moments like these remind us how much of a person exists beyond memory alone.

There Are Still Moments to Look Forward To

For families navigating Alzheimer’s, it’s understandable to think about what the future may bring.

But there is also value in looking at what is possible today.

Maybe today is a walk with the dog.

Maybe it’s picking up a paintbrush.

Maybe it’s listening to a song from decades ago, looking at a photograph, getting out into the community or laughing together over something completely ordinary.

There is no single definition of what living well with Alzheimer’s looks like. What brings someone joy will be as individual as the person themselves.

The role of family members, caregivers and Care Managers is often to keep looking for those opportunities — adapting as needs change while continuing to recognize the person at the center of the care.

During Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Emily’s words are a message worth remembering:

“They are more than the memories they have lost and deserve to be celebrated for the person they are today.”

At Arosa, our Care Managers and caregivers support individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia while helping families navigate the changes that may come along the way. Through personalized care, meaningful engagement and an understanding of each person’s individual story, our goal is to help create more opportunities for comfort, connection and good moments at home and in the community.

If someone you love is living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, Arosa is here to help your family navigate what comes next — while continuing to make the most of what matters today.