When someone close to you, whether it be a family member of a friend gets diagnosed with dementia, it can be hard. As well as watching them accept the fact that slowly, their life will change and they will, at some point lose a lot of their memories. It can be tricky to know exactly how to approach this as someone who wants to help.
Regardless of where they are in when it comes to their diagnosis, there will be challenges as not only will their behaviour change but also they will too. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help them or give them assistance. Nor does it mean it has to be all bad. There are many different ways you can help someone with dementia, even if you think you don’t know how to. If necessary, you can help them find a long term care facility.
Activities.
Just because someone has dementia it doesn’t mean they have to stop doing what they enjoy. Or even finding new things they enjoy to do as the disease progresses. You can find plenty of ideas for activities for seniors with dementia online or via various support groups specialising in helping those who care for people with dementia.
Brain games, crossword puzzles, card games are all good activities to help keep the brain working for as long as possible and can be a great way to spend time together.
Keeping active is also a great idea. Dancing can be a favourite amongst some seniors with dementia as is gardening or just walking around some of their favourite places or attractions.
Support.
Caring for someone with dementia is hard. There are going to be ups and downs and honesty, trying to do it on your own can be exhausting both mentally and physically.
So making sure you get the right support for both the person you are caring for and yourself is essential. Reach out to charitable organisations who specialise with conditions such as dementia or Alzheimers and find out what support there is for both of you. Drawing on others’ experiences and being able to confide in others who have or are going through the same situation can be a great stress release. This will also give you somewhere you can go to when you need extra help with changes or symptoms. It may also be worth your time to explore options for living arrangements, such as chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/the-chelsea-at-montville/, that offer memory care services so, should it get to the point where the person you are caring for needs more extensive support, you already have identified somewhere you think would be suitable and can get them moved in as quickly as possible.
Care and Assistance
As the disease progresses you will notice your loved one starts to lose the ability to remember things, do things and even speak. Sometimes what they are doing or saying may not make sense and that can be frustrating for everyone.
Be patient and try to read between the lines when it comes to communication. Be willing to assist with small day to day jobs just as personal hygiene and changing clothes along with chores around the house if need be. Offer support and assistance to help them do what they need to do. This can be especially important when it comes to eye care, people with dementia need to be able to take care of their eye health, make sure you find an optician who can be patient and are used to working with people who have dementia. This can make all the difference to your loved one and their experience.
As frustrating as it can be, try to stay calm and avoid asking them if they remember. this will only invoke more emotions as they struggle to understand or even remember what you are asking them.
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