5 Ways to Support a Loved One with Dementia |
Posted: April 3, 2020 |
Dementia is one of the most debilitating and prevalent diseases that harms older individuals. The disease has become so rampant to the point that it’s very likely that you know someone who has suffered from dementia. When one of your loved ones is going through dementia, it can be rather difficult to simply see them go through that type of mental anguish. It’s obviously even more difficult for the individual with dementia themselves, and being for our loved ones is crucial when it comes to coping and adjusting to life with dementia. We’re very lucky to have partnered up with experts at Complete Dementia Solutions to help us compile this list of 5 ways in which you can support someone with dementia. For more information about Complete Dementia Solutions go to the following link: https://www.completedementiasolutions.com/ So here are the 5 ways you can support your loved one who is suffering from dementia: 1. Educate yourself Understanding how dementia is a neurocognitive disorder and how that plays a factor in terms of your support efforts is crucial, so being sure that you do your own homework about how dementia affects people is important when caretaking your loved ones. People who suffer from dementia undergo a serious amount of cognitive impairment that’s directly correlated with brain damage, and although this is very sad to admit and see in your loved one, it’s still something that you need to be prepared for in terms of caretaking. Alzheimer’s disease is a very common type of dementia that many older people suffer from, but there are also many other types of dementia that your loved one may potentially be undergoing. Doing comprehensive evaluations and working with your loved ones medical professionals is crucial in terms of helping your loved one. 2. Be cognizant of your love one’s existing strengths Your loved one will undoubtedly show signs of cognitive impairment, but they’re still that same person that you knew prior to the disease. There will still be plenty of strengths that they still possess, and these are the interests, desires and skills they have other than memory skills and other cognitive skills. You can still find countless ways to connect with your loved one simultaneously with their cognitive impairment by focusing in on these strengths and enjoying your time with them. 3. Be a helpful hand Going the extra mile and helping your loved one with their transportation, activities, yard work, chores, shopping and other daily tasks is very important in terms of ensuring their success. A lot of people who have dementia must have a full-time caretaker to help them get through each and every day, and you can also support this caretaker by giving them days off and being their for your loved one. 24/7 caretakers can easily get overwhelmed by the amount of work that goes into supporting an individual with dementia, so giving a hand to help out will always go a really long way. 4. Offer relief This is a big part of hiring a full-time caretaker, because you should know that they’re going to need some time off from being with your loved one. You want your loved one’s caretaker to have as good of a morale and energy level as possible, so being nice, paying well and giving them a lot of time for themselves and their own family is also something that will subsequently have a very good effect on your loved one. 5. Become an advocate Advocating for research, early detection and awareness of Alzheimer’s and dementia is something that can always go a very long way in terms of helping yourself, as well as the future of this disease. Being there for other people who are trying to figure out how to take care of their loved one is a rewarding experience, and you’ll also learn much more about how you can better support your loved one in the process!
For more information about taking care of a person with dementia, reach out to the experts at Complete Dementia Solutions via the URL at the top of the article.
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