At-home care for a parent who suffers from dementia can be a challenging yet gratifying experience. In the early stages of Dementia, many patients can maintain a level of independence comparable to what they had before their diagnosis and continue to live at home. However, when the disease advances, it is often necessary to seek additional assistance.
What is Dementia?
The loss of cognitive functioning, which includes thinking, remembering, and reasoning, to the extent that it disrupts a person’s everyday life and the activities they once enjoyed is the definition of dementia. Some persons who have dementia are unable to exert control over their feelings, which can lead to personality shifts.
Dementia is a condition that can be defined as a condition in which a person’s cognitive abilities, such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning, deteriorate to the point where it interferes with their day-to-day living and the activities that they formerly enjoyed doing. One of the signs and symptoms of dementia is the incapacity of some people with the disease to maintain control over their moods and behaviours, which can lead to changes in personality.
Tips to care for Dementia Patients
Lessen irritability
When once-easy chores become challenging, a person with dementia may get irritated. To reduce difficulties and reduce frustration:
Plan your time well. Create a daily schedule. Certain actions, like taking a bath or going to a doctor’s visit, are simpler when the person is most awake and rested. Give yourself some leeway for unplanned events or particularly trying days.
Give it some time. Plan more time for tasks and be prepare for them to take longer than usual. Allow time between jobs for breaks.
Include the individual. Give the dementia patient as little help as possible so that they can do as much as they can. For instance, if you put out clothes in the order they go on, he or she might be able to dress independently or set the table with the aid of visual clues.
Give options. Every day, offer a few, but not too many, options. Give them a choice between two clothing, inquire as to whether they prefer a hot or cold beverage, or inquire whether they would prefer to take a walk or watch a movie.
Give clear directions. Clear, one-step communication is most easily understood by people with dementia.
Put a cap on naps. Avoid taking extended or numerous naps during the day. By doing so, the possibility of days and nights switching places is reduced.
Lessen the distractions to help the dementia patient concentrate during meals and talks, turn off the TV and reduce other distractions.
Be adaptable
A dementia patient will gradually become increasingly dependent. Stay adaptable and modify your routine and expectations as necessary to minimize frustration.
Consider purchasing a few identical outfits, for instance, if the person wants to wear the same thing every day. If taking a bath is met with resistance, think about doing it less frequently.
Establish a secure environment
Dementia affects judgement and problem-solving abilities, which raises the risk of injury to a person. To encourage safety:
Avoid falling. Prevent falls by avoiding scatter rugs, extension cords, and any other debris. Install grab bars or railings in high-traffic areas.
Apply locks. Install locks on any cabinets that house potentially hazardous items like medicines, alcohol, firearms, poisonous cleaning products, and potentially hazardous utensils and tools.
Verify the water’s temperature. To avoid burns, turn down the water heater’s thermostat.
Take steps to avoid fires. Keep lighters and matches out of kids’ reach. If dementia patient smokes, always keep an eye on them. A fire extinguisher should be within reach, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should have functioning batteries.
Attention to personalized care
Each person with Alzheimer’s disease will have a unique experience with the disease’s symptoms and progression. Adapt these helpful suggestions to the senior member’s needs.
Warning indicators that dementia patients being care for at home isn’t working
At the moment, there is no treatment available for dementia. Some elderly people are able to successfully age at home for years or even decades despite having moderate dementia, and they do so with the assistance of family carers or with professional Live-in Caregivers through agencies such as ConsidraCare. However, it is essential to keep in mind that dementia can progress in unexpected ways, which may result in unexpected shifts in care requirements.
To prevent this, ConsidraCare approved live-in caregivers can hire. They are professionals with prior experience in caring for the elderly people who suffer from cognitive issues such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
