1. Communicate Patiently, Slowly, And Clearly. Communication – or more specifically failed communication – can be the crux of problems for many caregivers. We’ve whittled it down to some of the key aspects that you could focus on to make it easy for you and the person with dementia:
a. Be positive, pleasant, and respectful. Demonstrate this to the other person by being affectionate in both your tone of voice and facial expression as well as your body language and touch.
b. Cut off distractions before you speak to the person. Ambient noise like a television or street sounds can be quite distracting. Close off the window so they can hear you better, or turn down or turn off the television.
c. Speak slowly and clearly so you are easily understood. You should sound reassuring and soothing to the other person. Avoid raising your voice or getting frustrated, this will only cause the communication to break down.
d. Simplify your questions. Frame questions so that they have simple yes or no answers.
e. Look for nonverbal communication from them if you’re not getting a verbal reply. Prompt with words as needed to help.
f. Focus on older history, avoid questions relating to the recent past. Because of how dementia manifests, a person is often very clear about what happened decades ago though they may have no memory of last week or even that morning. Talk about things they do remember – it could be school or college memories, or something they did when they were younger.
2. Help Them Stay Organized – But Without Doing Everything For Them. A person with dementia may need help with their daily tasks and life which they’d managed alone until now. Having a set routine can help. Don’t do everything for them though – it might make them feel unwanted or useless. Instead, have them do things with you or assist with little jobs around the house. If tasks seem daunting, break it down into simpler steps for them. You could even use notes or little posters at critical locations to help them remember what to do or how to do something.
3. Keep Up Social Connections – Just 10 Minutes A Day Can Help. Encourage people to visit and meet with the patient. Sometimes the embarrassment or fear of others seeing the changed behavior, personality, and memory of the individual can be discouraging when it comes to having visitors. Overcome this, because these relationships are crucial. Keep up their routines and hobbies and interests as much as possible. If they were a weekly church-goer, go to church with them. If they liked walking in the park every evening, they should continue to do so, but with someone to help them if they forget their way home. Keep up as much of a semblance of normalcy as you can. As one study found, the impact this can have is huge! Researchers found that dementia patients who indulged in as little as 60 minutes of conversation every week – which translates to an average of 8.5 minutes a day – saw reduced agitation levels. This also cut down the perception of pain they were living with.
4. Ensure The Right Nutrition. It is easy for someone with dementia to forget to eat balanced and nutritious meals, making them susceptible to deficiencies and malnutrition, so you’ll need to also keep track of their diet. Due to an inability to express what they want at times, a person with dementia may not be able to say they are hungry or ask for what they need. Keep food and snacks and drinks readily available and visible to them so they can help themselves to what they need, without having to constantly struggle with asking. A person with dementia may lose their sense of smell so stronger flavors and more seasoning may help them keep up their appetites.
5. Deal With Personal Hygiene And Incontinence. Urinary tract infections, incontinence, constipation – these are just some issues the elderly have to deal with. Add to that the tendency to forget the need to go to the toilet or even where the toilet actually is, and a person with dementia has even more trouble. Prominently signpost the toilet with a board of some kind, keep the door open for easy access, and ensure the person with dementia has clothes that are quickly removed – using a zipper instead of buttons helps. When it comes to personal hygiene, the fear of falling or becoming disoriented might keep someone from washing regularly. Some patients may allow a caregiver to help with this or be present when they are bathing.
6. Decide On Future Financial And Medical Plans With The Patient. It is important to get clarity on how to cope as time progresses and dementia worsens. You should have clear plans worked out on who will manage the banking and financial affairs of the individual. Share your number with the utility company, informing them of the condition of your loved one, so that power supply or heating isn’t cut off if they forget to pay their bills. Also do the difficult task of discussing which medical treatments they would prefer not to be subjected to, should the need arise at a future date. This legal document is known as an advance care directive and details what health decisions can be made on their behalf if they are no longer capable of doing so.
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