Dementia is a progressive condition that can make daily life stressful for seniors and their caregivers. Memory problems and cognitive decline present significant challenges. Still, with proper strategies in place, you can boost your aging loved one’s quality of life and slow the progression of the condition. Here are some tips that can help families provide high-quality everyday care for their loved ones with dementia.
1. Be Respectful
Your parent deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. When your loved one makes a mistake, don’t lecture him or her. Try to determine the issue and find a solution, and look for ways to calm your loved one down if he or she becomes agitated. You should never yell or disrespect your parent.
2. Promote Physical Exercise
Being active can slow brain aging and stimulate blood circulation. Try to incorporate a 20-minute daily workout into your loved one’s care plan. Exercising could provide your parent with clarity and enhance his or her focusing abilities.
A home caregiver can help your loved one exercise safely. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care Wilmington, a leading provider of at-home care families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
3. Stay Patient
Being patient is one of the best ways to handle caregiving challenges. Instead of giving up, take time to allow your loved one to complete tasks, and try to look for the positive in every situation. When things become too difficult, walk out of the room and calm down. Once you’ve regained your composure, you can return to the area with your loved one. Maintaining patience can keep the atmosphere calm and positive.
4. Develop Good Communication Strategies
Open-ended questions and multiple instructions can make it difficult for seniors with dementia to communicate. Try to simplify your sentences, and use positive words. Give your loved one time to answer before moving on to another topic or question.
5. Distract & Redirect
Anger and aggression are common among seniors with dementia, and they could cause aging adults to lash out verbally and physically. To calm your loved one down, introduce a new activity or topic of conversation to redirect his or her attention. When choosing distraction techniques, think about things that bring your loved one joy. Selecting these tasks or topics could make it easier to redirect his or her attention and prevent the situation from escalating.
6. Use Dementia Home Care Services
Receiving assistance from family and close friends isn’t always an option. If this applies to your situation, consider hiring a professional caregiver to come in and help with your loved one’s care. Choose a caregiver who specializes in dementia care because he or she will have knowledge and training that can enhance your loved one’s quality of life, and the caregiver may also be able to offer tips that could slow the progression of the condition.
Caring for seniors with dementia can be challenging for family caregivers. Luckily, there is dementia care Wilmington families can rely on. Professional dementia caregivers help seniors with dementia stay safe and comfortable at home by preventing wandering, providing cognitive stimulation, and assisting with household chores.
7. Develop a Support Team
You need people you can turn to when caregiving becomes overwhelming. Having a mentor or joining a dementia caregiver support group can alleviate stress and lower your risk of burnout. Maintaining excellent mental, physical, and emotional health could increase your ability to provide effective care for your loved one.
The responsibilities that come with caring for a loved one with dementia can sometimes feel overwhelming, but help is available. Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Wilmington elder care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help. If your loved one needs help with the challenges of aging, call one of our compassionate Care Specialists today.
