Lifestyle Tips

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1. Managing memory problems

   Make sure your family or close friends understand the real issue behind your memory problems. Consider a professional evaluation by a neuropsychologist who can explore support options with you. Use organization strategies: Write down appointments, phone numbers and other info in a portable planner, binder or pad, or post it on a wall calendar or bulletin board. Make sure everyone knows that commonly used items have to be returned to the same place from which they were taken and are usually kept. Leave yourself phone messages as reminders to do things. Organize your bills and write down when they're due the day they arrive in the mail.

2. Gift shopping: Make it a pleasure, not a pain

   Organize your shopping year-round so you won't have to do as much during the holiday season. Ask for sizes, favorite colors, preferences and interests and keep a list. Take advantage of the Internet for online shopping, with a partner if you need help with the keyboard. Call ahead to know which stores are likely to have what you need; also ask about potential access problems. If necessary, bring along a helper for reaching things on higher shelves, or hire a student, or ask for a volunteer from a youth organization. Get "family" gifts rather than individual gifts for the holidays.

3. Dress for success

   When buttons are hard to handle, use Velcro instead. If the button is sewn on the outside of the garment so it appears where it normally does when buttoned, it won't be easy to tell the difference. Velcro on shoes, or elastic shoelaces, or slip-on shoes, can also make life easier. Assistive devices such as buttonhooks and zipper pulls may be helpful. Cut out the crotch from panty hose (within the seams) and put on panties over the hose, to make bathroom trips easier—you won't have to pull down and pull up the hose repeatedly during the day.

4. Safety, convenience in the bathroom

   Get rid of throw rugs if they make it easier for you to slip and fall. Put a nonslip rubber mat, tape or decals in the shower and anywhere else they're helpful for making the floor less slippery. Have grab bars installed in the shower, tub and near the toilet—don't expect towel racks or other wall items to support your weight. To avoid dropping soap and having to retrieve it, use soap-on-a-rope, liquid soap, or assistive soap devices—or take an old nylon knee-high and put soap in it, then knot the end.

5. Kitchen strategies

   Take cabinet doors off from below the sink so you can sit down and rest your feet on the cabinet base while working. Cover exposed pipes with insulation to prevent burns. Install long lever taps to turn water faucets on and off. Have at least one low countertop put in for wheelchair use, or so you can sit to work, or buy a kitchen cart with a working surface. Mix ingredients in the sink to avoid spilling on the counter. Or use the dishwasher door as a mixing surface—then just run the dishwasher to clean it.