Caring for a person living with dementia can be both rewarding and challenging. The role of caring can bring joy, personal growth, and a feeling of being close to family, friends, or other important people. However, it's normal to feel stress, frustration, fatigue, grief and social isolation.
"Dementia can cause memory issues, impaired decision-making and behavioral changes, so caregiving for someone with dementia can be very mentally and physically challenging," says Dr. Wright. "But it's important to know that you're not alone. There are help and resources out there for you and your loved one."
Keeping an active social life, regular exercise, and continuing activities the person enjoys, or finding new ones, can help to reduce behaviours that are out of character. Read more about activities for dementia. Other things that can help include: providing reassurance.
In-home care includes a wide range of services provided in the home, rather than in a hospital or care community. It can allow a person with Alzheimer's or other dementia to stay in his or her own home.
Some of the greatest challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia are the personality and behavior changes that often occur. You can best meet these challenges by using creativity, flexibility, patience, and compassion. It also helps to not take things personally and maintain your sense of humor.
The average life expectancy figures for the most common types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease – around eight to 10 years. Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s. A few people with Alzheimer's live for longer, sometimes for 15 or even 20 years.
In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others. In the later stages, memory loss becomes far more severe.
A person with dementia should stop living alone if they're experiencing injuries, wandering outside the home, or otherwise putting themselves in dangerous situations. Ask yourself whether your senior family member's safety needs are being met and if extra assistance will keep them safe.
A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean a person cannot safely live independently. Some people may be able to live on their own for some time after the initial diagnosis. Others may be at too much risk to continue living alone.
One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection. A person in the later stages of dementia may have symptoms that suggest that they are close to death, but can sometimes live with these symptoms for many months.
Agitation (physical or verbal aggression, general emotional distress, restlessness, pacing, shredding paper or tissues and/or yelling). Delusions (firmly held belief in things that are not real). Hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there).
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.
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
As far as we know, the changes in the brain that occur in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia do not cause pain. However, people with dementia are at increased risk of experiencing pain because they are at increased risk of other things that can cause pain, such as falls, accidents and injuries.
There are many different types of dementia and all of them are progressive. This means symptoms may be relatively mild at first but they get worse with time, usually over several years. These include problems with memory, thinking, problem-solving or language, and often changes in emotions, perception or behaviour.
Based on a survey of over 500 adults with dementia and a series of in-depth interviews, the report founds a number of reasons contributing to the loneliness of people with dementia, including: Loss of confidence after diagnosis.
increasing confusion or poor judgment. greater memory loss, including a loss of events in the more distant past. needing assistance with tasks, such as getting dressed, bathing, and grooming. significant personality and behavior changes, often caused by agitation and unfounded suspicion.
Palliative care is appropriate at any point after dementia diagnosis and may be provided as early as stage 2. Palliative services include symptom management, prognosis and goals of care discussion, determination of code status, and psychosocial management.
The person with dementia usually doesn't remember if you have been there for five minutes or five hours. Ultimately it's better to visit three times per week for 20 minutes than once a week for an hour.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life: forgetting events, repeating yourself or relying on more aids to help you remember (like sticky notes or reminders). 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems: having trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.
Stage 6. In stage 6 of dementia, a person may start forgetting the names of close loved ones and have little memory of recent events. Communication is severely disabled and delusions, compulsions, anxiety, and agitation may occur.