Practical Tips for Taking Care of Individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer's

If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease, you know it can be a challenging but rewarding experience. As the disease progresses, daily tasks and routines can become increasingly difficult for your loved one. Here are some practical tips to help you provide the best possible care and support:

Create a Safe and Secure Environment

Fall prevention: Secure loose rugs, install grab bars in bathrooms, and avoid clutter in walkways.

Wandering prevention: Lock doors and windows, consider alarms on exits, and maintain identification bracelets.

Simplify the environment: Use clear labels on cabinets and drawers, and remove unnecessary clutter.

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Establish a Routine and Structure

Maintain consistency: Follow a simple regular schedule for sleep, meals, and medication to provide a sense of stability. This can help cope with short-term memory long and manageable long term memory loss.

Break down tasks: Simplify daily tasks into smaller, manageable steps to avoid overwhelming your loved one.

Use visual aids: Utilize calendars, clocks, and pictures to help them navigate their day and remember important information.

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Communication and Patience are Key

Speak slowly and clearly: Use short sentences and simple language with a calm and positive tone.

Focus on non-verbal communication: Use touch, facial expressions, and gestures to enhance understanding.

Validate their feelings: Acknowledge their emotions and avoid arguing or correcting their perceptions.

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Encourage Engagement and Activity

Maintain physical activity: Regular walks, simple exercises, and household chores can improve physical and mental well-being.

Stimulate their mind: Engage them in activities they enjoy, such as listening to music, playing games, reading, completing puzzles or reminiscing about old times. Promote independence in performing some tasks themselves where possible e.g. bathing, brushing their teeth, and doing household chores.  This can help slow cognitive decline.

Social interaction: Foster connections with friends, family, and support groups to combat isolation and loneliness.

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Promote Nutritious Eating

Your loved one may lose interest in food or regularly forget to eat, but it’s important to maintain balanced nutrition when possible. This slows cognitive decline too.

When preparing meals, include foods with cognitive benefits. These include:

• green leafy vegetables
• berries
• whole grains
• fish
• poultry

Try to limit:

• red meat
• sugar
• fried foods

Offer Choices

Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia may not be able to ask for what they want, but they can often make choices when present with options.

Keep it simple, for instance, ask them to choose between two sets of clothes, meal options, whether they would like sit outside or indoors etc.

Seek Support for Yourself

Educate yourself about Alzheimer's: Understanding the disease can help you manage expectations and provide better care.

Connect with support groups: Sharing experiences and challenges with others can alleviate stress and provide emotional support.

Don't be afraid to ask for help: Respite care programs and home care services can provide temporary relief and allow you to recharge.

Remember, caring for someone with Alzheimer's requires patience, understanding, and a commitment to creating a safe and loving environment. By implementing these practical tips and seeking support for yourself, you can ensure your loved one receives the best possible care while fostering a meaningful connection throughout their journey.

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Educate Yourself

Learning about your loved one’s condition can help better understanding, reduce frustration and improve communication with your loved one. It can aid you to cope with their changing and something challenging behaviour. Read more, attend medical appointments and ask questions.

Promote Good Hygiene and Grooming

Low self-esteem can affect their mood, so help maintain the person’s hygiene and grooming habits. This includes a daily routine of:

• bathing
• brushing their teeth
• combing their hair

If they feel good about their appearance, they might feel better overall.

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Be Patient

It might take your loved on longer to complete certain tasks like bathing and eating. Try your best to be patient and not get frustrated.

The inability to care for themselves can be upsetting or embarrassing. You can maintain their dignity by respecting their comfort level. For example, allow them to bathe or shower alone (if it’s safe).

Focus on Communication

A person with Alzheimer’s or Dementia may be unable to find the words to express themselves. This can lead to anger, frustration, and inappropriate care, if they cannot say how they are feeling. The tips below can help you communicate.

Do’s

• Do keep responses and instructions simple and short.
• Do give them time to process information.
• Do be patient, and if necessary, repeat instructions.
• Do redirect conversations to avoid arguments.
• Do use humour to break tension.
• Do learn their nonverbal cues.

Don’ts

• Don’t argue or become overly irritated. Leave the room if necessary.
• Don’t insist they complete a certain task.
• Don’t take their actions personally. AD can affect mood and behavior.
• Don’t belittle them.
• Don’t yell.
• Don’t ask open-ended questions. Give options instead.

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Organising the paperwork

This is often forgotten but while your loved one is still able to make decisions, it’s essential to ensure you arrange for various formalities, including the following:

• enduring power of attorney
• advance directive, or power of attorney for healthcare
• a living will
• a standard will
• any necessary financial arrangements

While things don’t always go as planned, it might be worth discussing with the person what they currently think they would like in terms of future care.

Remember, caring for someone with Dementia or Alzheimer's requires patience, understanding, and a commitment to creating a safe and loving environment. By implementing these practical tips and seeking support for yourself, you can ensure your loved one receives the best possible care while fostering a meaningful connection throughout their journey.

If you are looking for support or respite care, call us today on 02080 499776 for no-obligation free advice today!

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