Kevin's story

Kevin wasn’t nicknamed Mr Gadget for nothing. He could turn his hand to anything – he mastered computers, fixed washing machines, put up shelves. He also had a day job; he was a professional man running his own practice. So being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 66 was a big shock for Kevin and his family.

Soon after this diagnosis, an occupational therapist came to the house to work out with Kevin and his wife how they could use his strengths to aid his memory. Mr Gadget had a labelling machine – so they used this to label all the cupboards and shelves to prompt him to put things away in the correct place, and to find them again. He labelled the microwave with step-by-step instructions on how to cook his oats for breakfast each morning, which meant he could continue to do this for himself.

Kevin likes routine and structure; so the occupational therapist worked with Kevin and his wife, Diane, to introduce a weekly timetable of arrangements and activities that Kevin enjoyed; it also gave Diane the time and space to continue her interests and pursuits as a mother, friend and grandmother. The weekly timetable includes a discussion group, a men’s lunch group, and going for walks, with friends and family members being included in regular weekly time slots. A big clock with the date as well as the time prompts Kevin to keep track of his timetable.