People with dementia can still have nice feelings too. They can feel happy, safe and calm. Some people with dementia may seem like their usual self a lot of the time and you may only notice small changes every now and then. Some people with dementia may not have as many good days.
Activities to do around the house
Make a memory book — look through old pictures together and create a scrapbook. Water house and garden plants. Listen to their favorite music. Watch their favorite show or movie.
Alzheimer's disease does not change a person's need for love and affection, but it changes many aspects of a relationship. You may lose the companionship of someone who has been close and important to you. You'll need to find different ways to express your feelings.
In the early stages of dementia you may be able to live at home, continuing to enjoy doing the things you have always done and having an active social life. As the illness progresses, it's likely that you'll need extra help with daily activities, such as housework, shopping and cooking.
"Frequent visits and social interactions, exercise, music, dance, jokes, and serving patients their favorite foods are all simple things that can have a lasting emotional impact on a patient's quality of life and subjective well-being."
According to the United Kingdom Alzheimer's Society Dementia 2012 Report, 61% of people with dementia felt lonely, and 77% were depressed or anxious.
Someone with Alzheimer's disease may start rummaging or searching through cabinets, drawers, closets, the refrigerator, and other places where things are stored. He or she also may hide items around the house. This behavior can be annoying or even dangerous for the caregiver or family members.
People with dementia think about the same things that any human thinks about — emotions, relationships, daily life, tasks to accomplish, and more. However, dementia can change how you interact with the world because of its physical, mental, and emotional effects.
Alzheimer's disease progressively destroys brain cells over time, so during the early stages of dementia, many do recognize something is wrong, but not everyone is aware. They may know they are supposed to recognize you, but they can't.
A new publication released by the Alzheimer's Society today reports that 38% of people with dementia say that they are lonely, with a further 12% reporting they do not know if they are lonely.
Don't Tell Them They're Wrong About Something: To let the person save face, it's best not to contradict or correct them if they say something wrong. There's no good reason to do that. If they're alert enough, they'll realize they made a mistake and feel bad about it.
Many people with Alzheimer's continue to live successfully on their own during the early stage of the disease. Making simple adjustments, taking safety precautions and having the support of others can make things easier.
Living with Alzheimer's or dementia can be overwhelming at times, which can affect your health and ability to function. Taking steps to reduce stress can help improve your concentration, decision-making ability and overall quality of life. To help reduce stress: » Identify sources of stress in your life.
As Alzheimer's worsens, people experience greater memory loss and other cognitive difficulties. Problems can include wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, and personality and behavior changes.
For those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, staying active and engaged is beneficial for both a person's physical and cognitive health. Exercise, outdoor activities, games, music, and art are just a few of the activities proven to be helpful for those with dementia or other cognitive disorders.
For people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, watching TV can help keep their brain active, which can stimulate positive memories, improve mood, and even increase socialization. However, the choice of program can be dependent upon the stage of dementia.
However, the truth is not always the answer for those with dementia. Lying to dementia patients can be the right way to care for them because: They don't remember the truth and repeatedly telling them or insisting on facts will only cause them distress and pain, especially when it comes to something emotional.
Stage 6: Severe Mental Decline/Moderately Severe Dementia Quality of life: Severe impact. Your loved one will not remember much or any of the past and may not recognize you and other family and friends.
Physical difficulties in the later stages of dementia
The physical changes of late-stage dementia are partly why the person is likely to need much more support with daily living. At this stage they may: walk more slowly, with a shuffle and less steadily – eventually they may spend more time in a chair or in bed.
People living with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
In cases when the patient still lives in the family home, interactions might start to become limited to basic personal care, as the family is not sure how to engage. These factors lead to the biggest complaints from people who are living with dementia: feelings of loneliness and boredom.
As things get worse and memory deteriorates, people learn to hide their disability by faking normalcy (often quite well) or avoiding interactions completely, so we don't know that part. At a more severe stage, the person with Alzheimer's may stay (or be kept) out of sight even though she is still able to contribute.
In the later stages of the disease, a person with Alzheimer's may not remember familiar people, places or things. Situations involving memory loss and confusion are extremely difficult for caregivers and families, and require much patience and understanding.
As a result, they can seem “selfish” or “self-centered”, and uncaring about other peoples' needs or feelings. In reality, they may be no longer able to recognize the needs or feelings of others, because of the disease.
According to researchers, life expectancy for those 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease varies between four to eight years after diagnosis but some live as long as 20 years. The main predictor is age, as those diagnosed at a younger age tend to live longer.