"Don't put off enjoying them. You'll lose them," advises Jamie Krakowski of Los Alamitos, California, who hopes fellow Alzheimer's caregivers get the most out of their relationships with loved ones who have the disease.

Over the past year, Krakowski has made good use of the abilities remaining in her mother, Anna Nelson, who is in the early stages of the disease. Krakowski has planned various outings and activities, including a sunset harbor cruise on her mother's birthday that brought particular enjoyment to both.

Related article: Alzheimer's Care Needn't Exclude Fun, Pleasure

A harbor cruise might work for some, but be too ambitious for others. Here are other activities that have been endorsed by caregivers for their loved ones with Alzheimer's disease. Keep in mind that activities revolving around children and animals usually are successful in bringing enjoyment to Alzheimer's patients, always taking into account their tolerance of crowds and noise, experts say.

• Stroll through a favorite park together.
• Go to a Krispy Kreme donut shop and watch the goodies being created and sent along the conveyor belt.
• Visit the zoo, or, if crowds are a problem, an animal shelter.
• Attend a summer outdoor concert or other live music show.
• Have lunch at fast-food restaurants that have playgrounds and watch the children play.
• Tour a greenhouse, nursery or fancy gardens.
• Go for ice cream cones along the boardwalk, pier, main street or any special gathering spot in town.
• Write names on family photos while the Alzheimer's patient still remembers.
• Take a stroll down "memory lane" with the person, if he or she still has long-term memory.
• Write a mini-biography using the information from the reminiscence and present it to him or her in a formal book cover.
• Dine at a favorite restaurant from the patient's earlier days.
• Watch a sunset at a local park, beach, vista, etc.
• Stroll on the beach during hours most conducive for the patient (weekends for those who like to "people watch"; non-peak hours for those agitated by crowds).
• At Christmas, drive through neighborhoods decorated with lights and displays.
• For a person who likes to dance, arrange several dance partners to take turns with him or her on the floor. This can make the patient feel like the most important person in the room.
• Find an elevated spot in town on the Fourth of July and watch as many fireworks shows as possible.
• Rent a favorite old movie, pop a batch of popcorn and enjoy the show together.

Randy Franz is a Southern California-based freelance journalist who writes extensively about medical and health topics.