Caring for a loved one with dementia

Caring for a loved one with Dementia 08/27 Caring for a loved one with Dementia Dementia is described by The National Institute of Neurological Stroke and Disorders as, “ It is one word for a number of symptoms which are created by disorders that affect human brain. Dementia is not a detailed disease. People suffering from Dementia might not be able to function well and perform normal activities, such as eating or just simply getting dressed. These people may lose their capability to solve minor problems or even have control over their emotions. The personalities might change with time which might be very difficult for people close to them to handle. They become restless, nervous and might see things that are not present there (Alzheimer Association, 2012).
Caring for a loved one with Dementia is not an easy task. It comprises of dealing with many concerns and emotions. No one has any idea how their loved one might change with time. Early stage of Dementia care preparations is the hardest as a care giver; you have to adjust to changing moods and emotions. But, early preparations are also foremost important for a Dementia patient. People who are close to a Dementia patient firstly need to decide that who will take care of the heath and financial decisions when that person is not able to do by him or herself. Where will the person live and how care should be given are also major implications of the time (Russell, 2012).
After these factors are taken into consideration, care givers have to develop a day-to-day routine. Daily routines assist caregivers in running the care giving errands smoothly. For setting a routine, medical and support group might be of great use. Subsequently, the support group can then help to develop communications between the patients and care givers. Dementia’s patients will have problem finding right words, augmented hand gestures, are easily confused, and unsuitable outbursts are all part of the routine. Care givers have to keep the conversation simple and give patient time to answer. Also, the body language is important as patients sometimes can’t even tell the name of the object (AGIS, 2009).
Caregivers also have to plan activities and visitors’ time for the patients as patients have now lost track of what they used to do and how. They also have forgotten the names of people around them. Patient might be able to handle one thing one day and might forget about it the next day. A key with Dementia’ patient is to stay calm and normal. Care should be given to plan activities according to the interests of the person and then catering the activities likewise. Painting, gardening, working with clay, and playing with cats are very beneficial for the patient (Russell, 2012).
Finally, long-term care should be implemented for Dementia’s patients. Patients get worse with time as their memory worsens. When this happens, patients need care around the clock. It is better and wise to think ahead of time to plan for the future of Dementia patients. At home, patients should be given in home help, for instance care givers can be hired. Day programs and activities should be specially designed for Dementia’s patients to engage all members of the family in these activities (Russell, 2012).
Bibliography
Alzheimer Association. 2012. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center [ONLINE]Available at:
http://www. alz. org/care/overview. asp
AGIS. 2009. Caring for Someone with Dementia. Assist Guide Information Services. AGIS Network, Inc. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www. agis. com/eldercare-basics/mental-and-physical-health/alzheimers/caring-for-someone-with-dementia/default. aspx
Russell, Doug; L. C. S. W.; Tina de Benedictis; Saisan, Joanna; M. S. W. May 2012. Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care: Planning and preparing for the road ahead. HelpGuide. org. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www. helpguide. org/elder/alzheimers_disease_dementias_caring_caregivers. htm