Simple Tips for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia!

Submitted by Aishwarya Solanki on 17 February 2017

Tips for Caregivers

Dementia is a general term for decline in a person's mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with his/her daily life. It may involvememory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse.

Even though most cases of dementia come from irreversible causes, there is still much that families can do to help their loved ones continue to function as well as possible for as long as possible.A lot of different techniques and strategies have been tried, some with more success than others. 

Researchers, doctors, and eldercare professionals are still discovering and refining what works and what doesn't when it comes to dementia care. 

Dementia Care Techniques

The most important thing to do is to encourage the person to stay independent for as long as possible.

Graded assistance combined with daily practice and positive reinforcement can go a long way to maintaining functional independence. Graded assistance is a method of helping someone accomplish a task with the least amount of aid possible, using a spectrum of assistance from verbal prompts to physical demonstration, physical guidance, partial physical assistance and complete physical assistance.

If there are times of day when the person is less confused or more cooperative, plan your routine to make the most of those moments. Keep in mind that the way the person functions may change from day to day, so try to be flexible and adapt your routine as needed.

Begin to plan for the future. This may include getting financial and legal documents in order, investigating long-term care options, and determining what services are covered by health insurance and Medicare.

Coming Up Next Week - Tips for Communication !

 

Community
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Caregiver Community
Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorder PDMDS
Condition
Dementia
Parkinson Disease

Stories

  • Event : Living with Parkinson's
    We invite you to 'Living with Parkinson's' an event for people with Parkinson's and their caregivers.  Dance & Movement Therapy followed by tips on living with Parkinson's by eminent Neurologist Dr. Manoj Hunnur Date: 27th December, Tuesday Address: Prabodhankar thackeray multipurpose hall, A wing, 2nd floor, Borivali west Timing: 10.30am to 1.30pm  
  • My Mother’s Hairdresser: Dementia friendly or not?
    A touching account of how a local hairdresser volunteered to help, when others refused, to give my mother, who lived with Young Onset Alzheimer's, a glam haircut and made her look uber cool in her final years.   They say it takes a village to raise a child. As caregivers, we realize that it takes an entire community to deal with Alzheimer’s. Extended family members, friends, neighbors, healthcare professionals, coworkers, employers, employees, service providers like household help,…
  • My 3.5 Years of Journey with Parkinson’s!
    Gargi Ahluwalia is immensely grateful to the Support Group of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Society, (PDMDS), that helped her claim her independence over the debilitating disease. I started trembling from January 2013 when my husband was hospitalised. Four months later, when he passed away, my situation became worse. I thought it was due to stress, not realizing that it was more than that. I spoke to my family doctor and he said that I should see a Neurologist who specialized in…
  • Profile picture of Daksha Bhat, a dementia information advocate in a green top
    5 Challenges of Dementia Care in Gujarat
    Dementia is difficult. Absence of diagnosis, counselling and support makes matters worse. Basic awareness and services can help decrease caregiver stress. Daksha Bhat of Varishta analyses the situation on dementia care in Gujarat. Dementia may start as a slow, creeping change that gradually makes its inroads into our lives. It can happen to anybody who is over 60. Beginning with a gradual decline in the capacity to recall important things, it gradually manifests as a slow deterioration in the…
  • Journey from Negative to Positive through Dance Movement Therapy
    Restoring self-esteem and self-worth is what Dance Movement Therapy by Renelle Snelleksz has successfully achieved for a cross section of people like people with Parkinson’s Disease or those with a history of physical abuse and even children who have survived cancer but are deeply scarred. What is Dance Movement Therapy? How is it different from learning Dance? Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is very different from technique-based dance in that it creates a safe and non-judgemental space for…
  • Speech and Hearing Disorders in an Aging Population
    Dr S.P. Goswami, Professor of Speech Pathology at Mysore counsels that with the right kind of support, the load of the communication disorder can be shared equally by the aged individual as well as the family, the key to it being to meet them halfway. Aging is a phenomenon which starts from birth and brings about changes in the individual across the life span. However, beyond the yardstick of 60 years, anatomical and physiological changes become highly evident in the human body, thereby leading…
  • People with dementia should continue to live with respect and dignity in the community
    Jason Foo, the CEO of ADA (Alzheimer’s Disease Association), Singapore, shares his views on the rising levels of the disease, how personalised treatment can help and also how spreading awareness can remove the existing stigma. What are the possible reasons for increase in Young onset dementia? (Is there a difference between Young onset dementia and early onset dementia?) Young Onset Dementia (YOD) and Early Onset Dementia (EOD) refer to the same condition which is dementia affecting people…
  • Stock pic of person with dementia and caregiver and overlay text what dementia caregivers must understand
    What Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia Must Understand For More Effective Care
    Dementia care is difficult. Caregivers have to be persistent and creative to make the ongoing adjustments required. Swapna Kishore discusses some important aspects that caregivers must understand and accept, and offers some tips to cope better. It is often assumed that family caregivers will be able to support their loved ones after dementia care is explained to them. But hearing about dementia symptoms or communication methods in a classroom is not enough to make family caregivers give better…
  • Why do we need Dementia Friendly Communities
    Dr. Sridhar Vaitheswaran explains how supporting a person with dementia effectively in a dementia friendly community can improve not only their wellbeing but also improve caregiver satisfaction, decrease burden and contribute to the society’s progress.  The story of Mr Arun Mr Arun is a seventy-year old retired government employee. He lives with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in Chennai. He helps with the chores such as shopping and paying bills. He also visits a…
  • Empathy will bring out Best Care for Person with Dementia
    Amrita Patil Pimpale, a qualified Dementia Care Trainer and Founder of Echoing Healthy Ageing, a social enterprise working in Dementia care sector, provides consultation and training for families and healthcare professionals in order to sensitize them to care for elderly with dementia. Here she advocates methods on how to improve quality of life for dementia patients and their caregivers. As a dementia caregiver consultant, what are the tips and advice that you give caregivers to facilitate…