Gadgets For Dementia Patients That Are Incredibly Helpful
This entry was posted in Lifestyle on December 3, 2021 by Brett F. Previous PostNext Post
When a loved one begins to show the signs of dementia, it can raise safety concerns for friends and family. The last thing you want is to find out your loved one has wandered off on their own or is facing a medical emergency and is unable to get ahold of anyone. Fortunately, many devices for dementia patients have been created in response to this concern. Learn more about the best gadgets for dementia patients below.
Electrical Appliance Use Monitoring
This new piece of technology is specifically designed for caregivers who do not live with their loved ones. It monitors their use of electrical appliances by plugging into a power strip or wall outlet and will alert caregivers if their commonly used appliances have not been turned on or off. Technologies like the ones listed above do not make a dementia diagnosis easy. The disease is still devastating. But, with new technologies being developed, dementia is more manageable than ever before.
Staying Independent With Dementia
That being said, with the right support, advice and guidance, carers can ensure that the person they look after is both safe and able to remain independent.
If you are personally struggling to help your loved one with dementia to retain their independence, the below practical steps should ensure that you are able to offer the right support without being overpowering.
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Tips To Reduce Nighttime Restlessness
Improve sleep hygiene. Provide a comfortable bed, reduce noise and light, and play soothing music to help your loved one get to sleep. If they prefer to sleep in a chair or on the couch, make sure they cant fall out while sleeping.
Keep a regular sleep schedule. Be consistent with the time for sleeping and keep the nighttime routine the same. For example, give the person a bath and some warm milk before bed.
Keep a night light on. Some people with dementia imagine things in the dark and become upset. Stuffed animals or a pet may also help soothe the patient and allow them to sleep.
Place a commode next to the bed. Walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night may wake the person up too much and then make it difficult to get back to sleep.
Increase physical activity during the day to help your loved one feel more tired at bedtime.
Monitor napping. If the person seems very fatigued during the day, a short rest in the afternoon can lead to a better nights sleep. But keep naps short.
Limit the patients caffeine, sugar, and junk food intake during the day.
How To Keep Alzheimers Patients From Wandering
When caring for a senior with Alzheimers at home, it is very challenging to completely prevent wandering. Fortunately, there are steps that dementia caregivers can take to minimize the risk of elopement. Explore the following wandering prevention products and strategies to keep a dementia patient safe at home.
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Should A Person With Dementia Live Alone
Because of the nature of dementia, someone with dementia shouldnt live alone.
As we mentioned above, rapid dementia progression can occur, and the ability for those with dementia to wander or get lost is always a possibility. Leaving someone with dementia alone also runs the risk of a medical emergency occurring without someone to help immediately.
Someone may not need to stay with your loved one 24-hours a day during the early stages. But as dementia progresses, its best to make sure they have more regular care. Eventually, most people with dementia do need supervision at all hours of the day.
24-hour care for a person with dementia could look like:
- A family member staying with your loved one
- Moving your loved one into your home
- Getting a 24-hour in-home caregiver
- Some combination of the above
Ultimately, helping dementia patients live at home well involves ensuring their safety and comfort. A person with dementia is most safe when they arent left alone.
Warn Neighbors And Authorities
Caregivers often dont know their loved ones are missing before someone finds them. If neighbors are made aware of the situation, they can be on the look-out in case a senior wanders outside and around the community. Its also important to notify the local police about your loved ones tendency to wander. Many law enforcement agencies have developed voluntary registries for caregivers to submit information about and photos of loved ones with dementia to ensure they are returned home safely. Police officers and other first responders then have access to this information and can use appropriate dementia-friendly protocols in the event they encounter a senior who is lost or involved in an emergency situation.
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Does It Work For Your Senior
Before purchasing the technology, careful consideration should be given to the specific needs and personal preferences of the senior adult with dementia. We must remember the effects of the disease, and the seniors ability to cope with it, are unique to each person.
What is their cognitive impairment? What is their ability or willingness to use the technology? For example: If you attach a tracking device to Dads shirt, will he leave it on when he begins to wander? What if Mom constantly fidgets with her fall protection device, sending out false alarms? If a device requires recharging, who will remember to do that?
Consultation with the seniors physician will provide insight into the condition of your loved and what changes you will see in the future.
While its tempting to provide a senior loved one with technology to cover every conceivable danger or need, he or she may have their own idea about using it. In fact, the senior may become resentful and embarrassed by all the fuss and refuse to cooperate.
However, many people with dementia get used to using and appreciating technology if it is introduced to them early enough. As their dementia progresses, adjustments as to what will provide benefits or simply confuse and frustrate them will have to be made. So, the key is to find gadgets for seniors that clearly help, and perhaps even bring some joy back into his or her life.
The Future Of Assistive Technology
Where is assistive technology headed?
Makri said there is a lot of interest in virtual assistants, such as Amazons Alexa, Apples Siri and Googles assistant, so future research may focus on how those devices can best help someone with dementia.
These virtual assistants can be great for people with dementia, not only in terms of helping them with daily tasks, reminders and so on, but also because they will answer the same questions repeatedly without sounding annoyed or agitated, Makri said. Some of them can also be attached to home systems to control the lights, the thermostat, the curtains as well as other things.
In addition to virtual assistants, Makri said there are also artificial intelligence program chatbots being developed which can talk to someone the same way a human would.
At present, the chatbots are apparently not very good at all, but in time they may be indistinguishable from having a conversation with an actual person, which is as impressive as it is scary, Makri said.
Wisniewski said that students in her lab are working on a mobile app called Carebit, based on the Fitbit API and step and heart rate tracking wristband, to help caregivers monitor their loved ones who are still living independently.
Davies said that its important assistive technology is used for the right reasons: to enhance the independence, safety and daily living of a person with dementia.
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Rummaging And Hiding Things
Caring for a patient who rummages around or hides things in the home can be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.
| Rummaging/hiding things behavior management |
| Protecting property |
| Lock certain rooms or cabinets to protect their contents, and lock up all valuables. |
| Have mail delivered out of reach of your loved oneperhaps to a post office box. |
| If items do disappear, learn the persons preferred hiding places. |
| Restrict access to trashcans, and check all wastebaskets before disposing of their contents in case objects have been hidden there. |
| Protecting your loved one from harm |
| Prevent access to unsafe substances, such as cleaning products, alcohol, firearms, power tools, sharp knives, and medications. |
| Block unused electrical outlets with childproofing devices. Hide stove knobs so the person cant turn on the burners. |
| Lower the temperature on water heaters. |
| Designate a special drawer of items that the person can safely play with when keen to rummage. |
Living Well With Dementia
Psychologists work to assess, diagnose, treat and support individuals with dementia and lighten the burden on their families. Dementia is a syndrome caused by a variety of brain illnesses that affect memory, thinking, behavior and the ability to perform everyday activities.
Living well with dementia.
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The Timing Must Be Right
In order to ensure success in activities for dementia patients, the timing has to be just right.
People suffering from dementia can be unpredictable, so be prepared to be flexible and patient.
Pay attention to times when the person seems:
Make sure that your loved one isnt preoccupied, so they can fully focus on the activity. If the time is not right, switch gears and try a less-stressful activity.
When the timing is right, pick a clutter-free area away from noise and distractions.
As you are planning activities for dementia patients, it can also help to consider the time of day. For instance, choose calm and relaxing activities, like listening to music, around bedtime.
And remember, an activity that was a great success one day may not receive the same welcome the next.
The key is to focus on the needs of your loved one and be ready to move on to a new activity, if necessary.
Products And Strategies For Managing Dementia Wandering
Memory loss associated with Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia often causes seniors to become disoriented, confused and afraid. These conditions can erase memories of once familiar people and places and may result in dementia patients wandering away from home. In fact, the Alzheimers Association estimates that 60 percent of Alzheimers patients will wander at some point. The unpredictability of this dangerous dementia-related behavior can weigh heavily on caregivers and family members.
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Senior Services Of America Offers Resident
Whether you are currently looking for memory care for a loved one or are preparing for the future, Senior Services of America is ready to assist you.
Our senior living facilities range from independent living communities to memory care facilities. Our goal is to support you and your loved ones unique needs in any way we can.
Senior Services of America is here to be part of your care team in your loved ones journey. Find your nearest community to see how we can assist you with navigating this important part of life.
Sensory Activities For People With Dementia
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Seeing A Psychologist About Dementia
Psychologists work to assess, diagnose, treat and support individuals with dementia and to lighten the burden on the families that care for them.4 Psychologists have developed methods for measuring memory capabilities to assess what is likely normal aging versus the first signs of dementia. They can also help sort out when memory loss might be associated with treatable causes like depression or sleep disturbance.
Psychologists help minimize the changes in mood and behavior associated with dementia and work with the family to design living environments, provide tools and put procedures in place that allow a person with dementia to function well. Psychologists also facilitate communication among family members to help identify preferences for things like support services, such as home health aides financial and legal planning and day-to-day activities early on. Once the person with dementia is no longer able to make decisions on their own, the psychologist can help families implement these plans.
In the earliest stages, individuals with dementia as well as their family members may experience anxiety, sadness and even depression. Psychologists can provide strategies to manage these emotions. As the dementia progresses, psychologists can assist caregivers and families by helping them maintain their loved ones quality of life.
Fun Activities For Elderly Dementia Patients
If you’re looking for activities for dementia patients, we have you covered!
Weve assembled a wide range of activities, including:
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Sensory activities for dementia patients
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Creative activities for dementia patients
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Group activities for dementia patients and
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Cognitive activities for dementia patients
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Resources: Locating Useful Assistive Technology
Despite some setbacks, many caregivers believe that assistive technology could benefit their loved one.
After putting in so many hours finding solutions for her mother, Leda Rosenthal decided to use her research to help other caregivers, too. In 2016, she founded the company Alz You Need, a website to help caregivers find assistive technology. Leda launched the company through Colgate Universitys Thought Into Action Entrepreneurship Institute after she received the 2016 Entrepreneurship Fundcompetitive seed fundingto create the first version of Alz You Need.
Many of the mentors within the institute have told Leda that they believe she is doing something altruistic and that her tie to the disease makes her company meaningful, Rosenthal said.
While there are various websites dedicated to assisting dementia patients, Leda started the company because she felt there were no central resources that helped caregivers easily navigate the assistive technology that is out there.
The site allows caregivers to leave comments about products that are featured on the site, but they also plan on adding a forum where caregivers can share products theyre using or unique applications of existing products.
We dont want people to make any decisions. We just want them to answer a couple of questions about what their problems are and well help them make the decisions, Rosenthal said. Most of us are not professional caregivers and were just trying to cope, not solve, Rosenthal said.
Cognitive Activities For Dementia Patients
#1: Play Games
Games come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, such as:
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Shoots and Ladders
Just remember to keep your loved one’s ability in mind and have another game on hand just in case you need to change the plan.
#2: Work Puzzles
Like games, puzzles are a go-to when youre looking for activities for dementia patients.
Not only do puzzles help stimulate the brain, but they also provide social interactions that can help patients and caregivers create positive emotional connections.
In fact, a recent study found that the onset of accelerated memory decline among dementia patients who regularly worked crossword puzzles was delayed by nearly two and a half years compared to those who did not.
Puzzles appropriate for dementia patients include:
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Jigsaw puzzles
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Manage Stress In An Alzheimers Or Dementia Patient
Different stress-reducing techniques work better for some Alzheimers patients than others, so you may need to experiment to find the ones that best help your loved one.
Exercise is one of the best stress-relievers for both the Alzheimers patient and you, the caregiver. Regular walking, dancing, or seated exercises can have a positive effect on many problem behaviors, such as aggression, wandering, and difficulty sleeping. Indoor shopping malls are vast walking opportunities protected from the weather.
Simple activities can be a way for your loved one to reconnect with their earlier life. Someone who used to enjoy cooking, for example, may still gain pleasure from the simple task of washing vegetables for dinner. Try to involve your loved one in as many daily activities as possible. Folding laundry, watering plants, or going for a drive in the country can all help to manage stress.
Remembering the past may also help calm and soothe your loved one. Even if they cant remember what happened a few minutes ago, they may still clearly recall things from decades ago. Try asking general questions about their distant past.
Use calming music or play your loved ones favorite type of music as a way to relax them when agitated. Music therapy can also help soothe someone with Alzheimers disease during mealtimes and bath times, making the processes easier for both of you.
Take time to really connect with the person youre caring for