Care Tips for a Loved One Who Has Dementia
If your elderly loved one has dementia, they are going to need a team of people to help them.
From the doctors who provide their treatments to the senior care providers that help them regularly, your loved one needs help. You can care for your elderly loved one, as well. There are many care tips that can assist you with this process.
Senior Care in Saluda NC: Dementia Care Tips
Clear Out the Walking Areas
It is important that your elderly loved one’s home is safe for them. One of the ways you and senior care providers can help with this is to clear out the walking areas. For instance, you should remove coffee tables, random stands that aren’t needed, unnecessary furniture, extra cords, and other tripping hazards. If you do these things to keep the walking areas cleared out, your elderly loved ones will be safer in their home. It is important to remember that many people who have dementia can’t pay attention to what is around them, especially later in the progression of dementia. Since they may not be able to keep themselves safe, you can help with that.
Understand Limitations to Their Communication
As your elderly loved one’s dementia progresses, they aren’t going to communicate as well. They might not find the right word for what they are trying to say. For instance, when talking to you or the senior care provider, your loved one might say chair instead of the stove. Your elderly loved one might not process what you are trying to say to them either. These communication issues can cause irritation between you and your loved one. However, if you can understand these limitations and be supportive, things can be more relaxed and calm.
Validation Matters
One of the care tips that is a must would be validation. It is very important that you are validating what your elderly loved one feels and says. The reality that your elderly loved one is living isn’t the same as your reality. They might see, hear, and think about things that aren’t there. However, you should still validate them. Be empathetic with your elderly loved one and show them that you understand. If necessary, you can try distraction techniques, when validation doesn’t work.
Conclusion
These are some of the care tips for a loved one who has dementia. Taking care of someone with this disease isn’t easy. However, when you support your elderly loved one, do your best to understand what they are going through, and validate them, things can be better for both of you. When needed, you can always hire senior care providers to care for your elderly loved one. Many of the providers are trained in this disease. They know about the behaviors and thoughts that your elderly loved one might have. Between you and the senior care providers, your elderly loved one can get the care they need.