Tips When Caring for an Elderly with Dementia

It is a common belief that dementia is memory loss. But it is a group of symptoms that affect language, thinking and judgement abilities, reasoning and social skills too. About 55 million people have dementia worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form contributing to 60-70% of the cases. Anti-dementia medicines and therapies play a key role in managing agitation and emotional concerns. They limit challenges and encourage patients to participate in daily tasks as much as possible. While around 20% of the cases are reversible, the ones caused by drugs, alcohol and hormone imbalances are incurable.

There are ways to deal with people suffering from mild or moderate dementia. Crawley nursing homes like Ashton Grange Nursing Home in Horsham provide full-time care for elderly residents with dementia. They offer holistic care tailored to each individual. The top service and facilities include fresh hot meals, a relaxed surrounding and visits to local parks and garden centres in disability vans. The staff at this trusted nursing home in West Sussex take care of the well-being of families by setting up video calls with their loved ones for peace of mind. Look at a few home-care tips.  

1.    Keep a Routine

A predictable routine keeps a person from forgetting their tasks or getting distracted. Fix a time and pattern for bathing, dressing, eating, sleeping and dementia nursing home visits. Each one should be done at a specific hour. This way the patient is less likely to spend less time thinking about what to do and focus on the activities at hand instead. They can plan, initiate and finish them independently. People with dementia tend to thrive with familiarity. You may also plan a few enjoyable things in the day to reduce stress if any.

2.    Comfortable Clothes

This is quite a neglected subject when it comes to dementia. But clothing ensures a sense of control with chains, buttons and hooks. They may slowly remember their purposes and be able to use them efficiently. But do not rush since it may cause anxiety and frustration when the disease progresses beyond the early stages. Encourage them to change for certain occasions even if they insist on wearing the same outfit. Pick loose-fitting, soft and breathable and simple clothes that are non-complicated and easy to handle.

3.    Assistive Devices

These include medical reminders, locator devices, night/day clocks and sensors. Remove locks in the interior doors to keep the elderly from locking themselves. Add grab rails and shower chairs in the bathrooms. Secure the carpets to avoid slips. All of these are necessary since studies showed that the risk of falls is 2-8 times higher in people with dementia than in completely healthy individuals. Keep curtains open throughout the day to let in the daylight. The eyes affected with dementia require a certain level of lighting. Keep things clutter-free by rearranging furniture so that everything is easy to see. Avoid excess noise and bold colours and patterns on walls since these can be quite confusing.

The top nursing homes in West Sussex offer state-of-the-art care and complete support for the mental well-being of the elderly. Pair this up with home care to improve the quality of their lives.