10 Tips For Helping A Loved One With Dementia

Dementia is a brain disorder that affects the way a human thinks, interacts, and behaves like a normal person. The disease is unlikely to occur in young people. People consider it a normal occurrence for some adults of a particular age group. If your loved one is between 65 and 85 years old, or maybe older, this is normal. In this case, there is no need to panic.

But caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease can be overwhelming and emotionally draining. A person can suffer from the disease, but they share the problem with almost everyone in the family. That is why many people are afraid of the disease.

People living with Alzheimer’s dementia need care from healthcare providers and those around them all the time. This is why their loved ones need to learn about Alzheimer’s dementia to know how to get out of it. This article will share some tips on how to care for someone with dementia. Learn more below.

Ten tips to help an Alzheimer patient

1. Be positive

The way normal people react to the mood you project is the same as it does for people with dementia. They may have brain problems, but they can see your facial expression. It sends them a positive or negative message, depending on the expression on your face at the moment. They can hear your voice and interpret it whether it is harsh or soft. So think about it when your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Get their attention

They want to feel your presence when you talk to them. You won’t be able to do this if something distracts them. One thing you can do is remove or turn off any form of distraction, like the television or any surrounding noise. Instead, keep them focused on you with constant eye or body contact (touch).

3. Speak your words

Most of the time, people with this problem do not understand the statements all at once. Using abbreviations or pronouns can even make things worse. They need you to say simple words to them that they can understand. If they need you to repeat your statement, that doesn’t mean they can’t hear you, so you don’t have to step up your voice. Be calm and repeat the same words.

4. Ask easy-to-answer questions

Questions with long answers make them almost impossible to answer. If your loved one has this brain disorder, ask only simple questions to ensure better interactions with them. If you want to keep things simple, you can use signs or pictures to represent your questions. You can also reconstruct the questions to have a yes or no answer.

5. Be observant

Sometimes their reactions and body languages ​​are their answers to your questions. Observe these movements and react positively to them.

6. Consistency

Doing things a certain way can help people with Alzheimer’s disease get used to you and the things around them. For example, you can maintain certain routines around the house to make things easier to understand and follow.

7. Keep a calm environment.

One thing that can sometimes worry and worry people with dementia is an uncomfortable environment. You can support their comfort when you keep the environment calm. One question you can ask yourself is how you can keep the environment calm. One way to do this is to eliminate noise and too much light.

8. Nutritional control

If you are responsible for caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, one of your priorities should be nutrition. People with this condition should have more frequent mealtimes. In addition, you need to check the frequency of their water consumption. Working out based on the individual’s body weight, a minimum of 1.5kg and a maximum of 2.5kg of water per day is fine.

9. Positive assurance

Your presence means a lot to them. If for some reason they don’t see you for a while, always assure them that their safety is the reason for your absence. In situations like this, encouraging words work well. Encouraging words may come as to how long you have been away and what things you are likely to get for them. This will keep them comfortable during the time you are away.

10. Avoid violence

People with this problem sometimes become violent and tend to be dangerous to you and themselves. Changing your location will be the best course of action at this point. Remember to clear them and the environment of dangerous objects before leaving their presence.

Conclusion

One thing you need to work on is your relationship with people living with Alzheimer’s dementia. Basically you have to create a way to communicate with them without adding more confusion to them. This is what sets your relationship between them and normal people apart. We hope these ten tips will enrich your knowledge and support your efforts to care for your loved one.