Caring for Someone with Dementia.
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a challenging experience for families and caregivers. Dementia is the progressive decrease in brain function, and can lead to decreases in memory, communication, and the ability to safely care for oneself. An individual with dementia can exhibit multiple behavioral changes, which could be as mild as forgetfulness, or could be more serious, such as wandering or even forgetting members of their own family. Dealing with dementia can be extremely frustrating to the caregiver. This article will discuss 5 strategies to help care for a loved one with dementia
- Use effective communication techniques: A person with dementia could be confused or easily distracted. It is therefore very important to use good communication techniques when talking to them. Turning your body towards them and making eye contact is very important, because it allows the individual with dementia to know you are talking to them, and also gives feedback to the caregiver on whether the message was understood or not. In addition to making eye contact, it is also advisable to a use lower tone voice because lower tones are easier to hear.
- Keep things simple: It’s important to keep things simple when caring for someone with dementia. To minimize confusion when giving direction or asking questions, it’s important to give one direction at a time, for example, when asking them to sit at the table for dinner, you can break down the directions into simple steps, such as: “let’s walk to the dining room,” then “please sit down at the dinner table,” giving them utensils, and then asking them to eat their meal as you monitor them for safety. It’s important to keep a well structured environment, and to avoid making drastic environmental changes, such as re-arranging furniture or taking them to a relative’s house for a few days. It’s important for the caregiver to remember to keep things simple when caring for a loved one with dementia.
- Promote independence: It’s important to promote as much independence in an individual with dementia, as long as it can be done safely. Although individuals with dementia may lose some of their abilities to care for themselves, it is important to promote as much independence as possible, for example, if they are still able to feed themselves, such activities should be promoted. A person with dementia may have a decreased awareness of unsafe behaviors. It is therefore important for the caregiver to be aware of the individual’s limitations, and monitor for safety as required. A person with dementia may also develop personality changes, or develop new behaviors such as wandering. These behavioral changes can increase their risk for falls or injuries, therefore a safe environment should be maintained, which allows them to wander without a lot of restriction.
- Maintain good nutrition and sleep: This is important for both the individual with dementia, and the caregiver. People with dementia may forget that they need to eat and drink enough fluids throughout the day. They may also have behaviors such as wandering, which make it difficult to sit at the dinner table and eat. These challenges over time may lead to nutritional problems, not only in the individual with dementia, but also in the caregiver, as they spend most of their time and attention on caring for the individual. It is therefore important to create a schedule with consistent meal times that are part of the daily routine. It’s advisable for the caregiver to sit with the individual with dementia if possible, to monitor and give support as needed. It’s also important to seek help if consistent weight loss or other nutritional challenges are noted.
- Ask for help: Caring for someone with dementia can be an exhausting on-going task. Just remember that you are not alone. There are a lot of caregivers helping a loved one with dementia. There are a lot of resources available to give information and help you cope with your situation. You can contact your counties’ Area Agency on Aging. They are a very good source of information for the resources available in your county. You can also search for your local Alzheimer’s Association, or Caregiver support groups. Other people in caregiver support groups can give advice based on their own experiences, and let you know what has worked for them, and what has not. Home Care agencies that specialize in senior care are also a good source of information, professional help, and may provide Respite services that allow the agency to provide a temporary caregiver to allow the primary caregiver to take a break from their stressful duties of caring for a loved one with dementia.
It’s very important for the caregiver to develop good self awareness, and minimize their levels of stress to prevent burnout. The caregiver has to remember to take good care of their mind and body, because this allows them to provide better care to their loved one. Regular exercise, eating healthy, sleeping well and creating moments of personal time are all very important in preventing burnout. This article has only discussed a few strategies to help care for a loved one with dementia. If you have any additional helpful comments, tips, or strategies, please feel free to leave your comments below.