Be Open To New Ways Of Interacting And Communicating
“It’s easy to look at a parent or loved one with dementia and see them as they’ve always been,” says Dr. Wright. “But it’s important to realize that, to some degree, he or she is a different person now. They may look the same, but their behaviors are going to be different and you can’t return them to normal just through sheer willpower.”
Instead, Dr. Wright recommends taking steps to adjust how you perceive, interact and communicate with your loved one.
Being open to seeing them as they are now can help you better engage with them in your day-to-day activities. It can also help you navigate how to effectively respond to the challenging situations that will assuredly arise, such as their asking the same question repeatedly, forgetting something important or doing something inappropriate.
“It’s critical for you to give your loved one plenty of grace,” recommends Dr. Wright. “If you find yourself getting annoyed or short-tempered, remind yourself that they’re not doing these things intentionally. Their actions and behaviors are the result of something they have no control over anymore.”
Going To The Hospital: Tips For Dementia Caregivers
A trip to the hospital can be stressful for people with Alzheimers disease or another dementia and their caregivers. Being prepared for emergency and planned hospital visits can relieve some of that stress. This article suggests ways to help you prepare and tips for making your visit to the emergency room or hospital easier.
Nhs Support For Dementia
NHS help for dementia includes the treatment you receive from your GP and hospital. It can also include other types of healthcare such as community mental health nurses, physiotherapy, audiology , optometry , podiatry , speech and language therapy, and mobility specialists.
The NHS will also fund any nursing care you receive in a nursing home, although nursing home placement may not be completely free.
In some parts of the country, the NHS provides Admiral nurses. These are NHS specialist dementia nurses who will visit you to give you practical guidance on accessing services as well as offering emotional support.
The NHS provides free continuing healthcare, for people with dementia whose care needs relate mainly to their health. If youre awarded continuing healthcare, the NHS will provide and fund your entire care package including your healthcare and social care whether you live in a care home or in your own home. If you live in a care home, NHS continuing healthcare covers your residential costs and your food, as well as any nursing care.
To qualify for NHS continuing healthcare, you need to have an individual assessment, this may have already happened. To check whether youve had a continuing healthcare assessment, or to request one, contact your local NHS organisation and ask for the NHS continuing healthcare co-ordinator.
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Equip Your Home With Assistive Devices
Simple fixes, such as grab bars in the bathroom, carpets tacked down to prevent falls, and locked gun closets, guard against accidents that drive people into nursing homes. In one study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that more than 90% of patient needs in those with dementia were safety-related. Another Johns Hopkins MIND at Home study of 88 patients and their caregivers found that the more safety or navigation supports a person with dementia had, the higher they rated their own quality of life.
Develop Helpful Daily Routines
Having general daily routines and activities can provide a sense of consistency for an Alzheimers or dementia patient and help ease the demands of caregiving. Of course, as your loved ones ability to handle tasks deteriorates, youll need to update and revise these routines.
Keep a sense of structure and familiarity. Try to keep consistent daily times for activities such as waking up, mealtimes, dressing, receiving visitors, and bedtime. Keeping these things at the same time and place can help orientate the person with dementia. Use cues to establish the different times of dayopening the curtains in the morning, for example, or playing soothing music at night to indicate bedtime.
Involve your loved one in daily activities as much as theyre able. For example, they may not be able to tie their shoes, but may be able to put clothes in the hamper. Clipping plants in the yard may not be safe, but they may be able to weed, plant, or water.
Vary activities to stimulate different sensessight, smell, hearing, and touchand movement. For example, you can try singing songs, telling stories, dancing, walking, or tactile activities such as painting, gardening, or playing with pets.
Spend time outdoors. Going for a drive, visiting a park, or taking a short walk can be very therapeutic. Even just sitting outside can be relaxing.
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Plan For Gaps In Care
Caregivers may need to take on more caregiving responsibilities if in-home health aids or other family members cannot come by as frequently.
They can prepare for unexpected gaps in care by first making a list of essential supplies, such as medication, personal hygiene products, and food.
It is a good idea to stock up on nonperishable, essential supplies.
Understand The Skills Kept And The Skills Lost To Dementia
This is the key to the DAWN Method: understanding the skills kept and the skills lost. Once we understand what they can and cannot do, we can begin to change our way of interacting so that we dont set them up for failure and embarrassment. Read more about the skills kept and lost to dementia.
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Connecting In The Late Stages Of Care
Regardless of the late-stage care options you choose, you can find a sense of reward in your caregiving role by making time each day to really connect with your loved one. Even though they can no longer verbally express love or appreciation, a late-stage Alzheimers or dementia patient can still connect through their senses.
Avoid all distractions and focus fully on your loved one. Make eye contact , hold their hand or stroke their cheek, and talk in a calm, reassuring tone of voice. As well as talking, you can also appeal to their senses by rubbing scented lotion into their skin, playing their favorite music, reading a meaningful book or poem to them, or viewing old photos together.
When you connect in this way, youll experience a process that boosts mood, reduces stress, and supports physical and emotional well-beingfor both you and your loved one.
Tips On How To Care For Someone With Dementia
With one person in the world developing dementia every 3 seconds and an estimated 50 million or more people living with the condition globally, dementia is a very real problem.1 Getting the right care is crucial to maintaining a good quality of life for those coping with this problem. To add to it, dementia doesnt just affect the individual but also those around them. Navigating what can sometimes be a very emotional and difficult path may seem daunting, but there are some ways to make it easier. What follows is a look at how to care for someone with dementia, ways to keep them happier, and for you to cope too.
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How Can You Promote Independence In A Person With Dementia
Even though its often not best to allow someone with dementia to live alone, you still want to promote independent living for as long as possible.
Independent living usually means providing a routine and encouraging your loved one to do simple daily tasks themself. These daily tasks might include:
- Bathing and dressing
- Socializing with friends
- Creating and following a daily to-do list
Anything that keeps them active and thinking for themselves is beneficial. There may come a time when your loved one with dementia needs around-the-clock care. Until then, promote an independent lifestyle as much as possible.
Whats Included In This Guide
From when the person receives their diagnosis, through the changes and challenges of dementia, this booklet provides practical help, ideas and suggestions to help you both adjust to living with dementia. This includes details of how and where to get further support.
There is a restructured section on coping with the symptoms and changes of dementia. Youll also find a new chapter about providing personal care with advice on staying well for the carer and the person with dementia.
The section on the later stage of dementia has also been revised and expanded. There is additional information on your rights as a carer. The booklet also highlights the importance of looking after yourself when you are caring.
Full list of chapters:
- Taking on the caring role
- Looking ahead: putting plans in place
- Understanding changes and symptoms of dementia
- Personal care and staying well
- Support and care services
- Supporting a person in the later stage of dementia
- End of life care and support
This publication has provided essential support to many thousands of carers. It is one of our core resources providing understanding, confidence and reassurance when you need it most.
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Understand The Stages Of Dementia
As your loved one walks the dementia path, they will go through Page about six stages of dementia. These six stages explain your loved ones experience and emotional reactions so you can anticipate when their needs increase and know when both of you will need more help.
Not sure if your loved one has dementia? You may want to watch this video, Is it Dementia or Normal Aging? which explains the signs of dementia and how it differs from normal aging.
How To Communicate With Someone Who Has Dementia
As dementia progresses, it affects peoples ability to express themselves so you may need to learn new ways to understand and communicate with the person you care for. Here are some tips:
If youre struggling with unusual or challenging behaviour, speak to the persons GP to get a referral to your community mental health team. The Alzheimer Societys factsheet Aggressive behaviour has more useful information including how to react, working out triggers, and dealing with your own feelings.
It’s worth bearing in mind that distress and confusion may be caused by other health needs than dementia. Always discuss any concerns with the person’s GP so they can check for physical causes of symptoms.
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Social Services And Dementia
Social services can help with your personal care and day-to-day activities. For example, social services may offer to provide home care assistants to help you with washing and dressing, laundry services, meals on wheels, frozen food delivery, aids and adaptations, and help with claiming benefits.
An assessment is required to access the services you need. If you havent already had an assessment by health and social services, contact your local authority or GP and ask for the social services department to carry out an assessment of your care and support needs. Once youve put in your request, a care manager will contact you or your family to carry out a telephone assessment, or to arrange an appointment to see you at home and assess your needs.
Find Support Sooner Rather Than Later
We reached out to Debbie Selsavage, the owner and author of Coping with Dementia.
According to Debbie, when caring for a person with dementia, it is important to find support sooner than later. That way, your loved one can adapt and accept other people in their home.
Employing a home health company to build a relationship with your loved one will benefit you as a care partner to get the breaks from one on one care duties, even for a few hours.
This disease will not be easy if you do not ask for help, not because you cannot, but because you want to be there as long as possible and as healthy as possible to care for the needs of your loved one in the journey of dementia.
Thinking of both is the most important thing you can do.
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Questions To Ask About End
As a caregiver, you will want to understand how the available medical options presented by the health care team fit with the needs of both the family and the person with dementia. You might ask the health care team questions such as:
- Who can help me with end-of-life care for my loved one living with dementia?
- How will your suggested approaches affect their quality of life?
- What are my options if I can no longer manage the care of my loved one at home?
- How can I best decide when a visit to the doctor or hospital is necessary?
- Should I consider hospice at home, and if so, does the hospice team have experience working with people living with dementia?
Moving To A Care Home
If the persons needs become too great for you to manage at home, you may need to consider other long-term options. If youre becoming exhausted or the person with dementia is becoming harder to care for, a care home might be the best option for you both.
A move to a care home can be a difficult decision, but there are limits to the care you can provide.
If the person you care for is moving into a care home, familiar furniture, belongings or music can help them feel more settled.
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Importance Of Advance Care Planning For People With Dementia And Their Caregivers
Someone newly diagnosed with dementia might not be able to imagine the later stages of the disease. But when a person is first diagnosed with Alzheimers or another dementia, its important to make plans for the end of life before the person with the disease can no longer complete advance directives and other important legal documents. End-of-life care decisions are more complicated for caregivers if the dying person has not expressed the kind of care they would prefer.
Finding Dementia Care And Local Services
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A person with dementia will need more care as symptoms worsen over time. Problems with memory, thinking, and behavior often present challenges for those with dementia as well as for their family members. Whether the disease is in early or late stages, there are support systems, resources, and services that can help.
While it can be difficult for some to admit they need assistance with care or caregiving, it is okay to ask for help. In fact, when it comes to caregiving, taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do.
Explore the tips and resources below to find information about dementia care and local services.
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If He Or She Doesn’t Recognise Their Environment As ‘home’ At That Moment Then For That Moment It Isn’t Home
Try this instead:
Try to understand and acknowledge the feelings behind the wish to go home. Find out where ‘home’ is for them – it might not be the last place they lived. It could be where they lived before moving recently or it could be somewhere from their distant past.
Often people with dementia describe ‘home’ as a pleasant, peaceful or idyllic place where they were happy. They could be encouraged to talk about why they were happy there. This can give an idea as to what they might need to feel better.
Getting A Diagnosis For Dementia At Home
Quick clarification: dementia is a grouping of similar symptoms, not a diagnosis. The diagnosis is more along the lines of Alzheimers disease , Parkinsons disease , Dementia with Lewy Bodies , etc.
In this years World Alzheimer Report, Alzheimers Disease International estimates that 75 percent of people with dementia do not get diagnosed.
Several barriers may keep someone from receiving a diagnosis:
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Dont Neglect Your Own Needs
By always focusing so diligently on your loved ones needs throughout the progression of their dementia, its easy to fall into the trap of neglecting your own welfare. If youre not getting the physical and emotional support you need, you wont be able to provide the best level of care, and youre more likely to become overwhelmed and suffer burnout.
Plan for your own care. Visit your doctor for regular checkups and pay attention to the signs and symptoms of excessive stress. Its easy to abandon the people and activities you love when youre mired in caregiving, but you risk your health and peace of mind by doing so. Take time away from caregiving to maintain friendships, social contacts, and professional networks, and pursue the hobbies and interests that bring you joy.
Talk to someone. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, clergy member, or therapist, about what youre going through. The simple act of talking face-to-face with someone who cares can be extremely catharticand a great stress reliever.
Stay active. Regular exercise not only keeps you fit, it releases endorphins that can really boost your mood. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. If you cant get away for that long at once, break the time up into 10-minute sessions throughout the day.