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A life with dementia
Dementia is a serious problem that makes life difficult for our loved one. Dementia is a life limiting condition which presents itself with aggressive speech. Accompanied by confusion and progressive cognitive decline. As a result of all these, our loved one become frustrated. Making their behavior very difficult to handle. What to expect from our loved one with Late-stage dementia.
4 major symptoms of dementia
- Decreased mobility and increased frailty.
Seniors with late-stage dementia experience a gradual decrease in mobility. They prefer to sit rather than getting up and doing the daily tasks. Due to other secondary illness and diseases, seniors become weak and frail.
- Absolute dependence on others.
Our loved one find it very difficult to carry out the daily task. They are dependent on others for daily tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing.
- Severe loss of memory.
Poor cognitive functioning is the major feature of late-stage dementia. Causing severe loss of memory.
- Communication problems.
With cognitive decline being the major issue. Communication problems are bound to sneak in.
Challenges for the caregiver
The diagnosis of dementia can be disheartening and very difficult for the entire family. Taking care of our loved one with dementia can be difficult and more so during the advanced stages. The task of taking care of seniors with late-stage dementia can be challenging for the caregivers.
Tips for caregivers
- Gather as much knowledge as possible.
This will help the caregivers to care for their loved one in a better manner. And also will allow them to be better prepared about their behavior and feelings.
- Understand your loved one.
It is necessary to understand your loved one and their behaviors. Their behaviors will be absurd and not normal, which may make you feel hopeless and angry. However, the key point here is to keep patience and understand your loved one’s needs and behavior.
- Allow your loved one to do their tasks all by themselves as much as possible.
This will help your patients regain their self-esteem and gain confidence. Do not help them with everything. Offer support only where necessary.
- Don’t stop any sort of unusual behavior.
Allow your patients to do whatever they wish to. however, make sure that they do not hurt themselves in the process. Do not always intervene whenever they behave in an unusual fashion. Resist your urge; don’t intervene every time. Stay calm and simply watch them do their tasks and offer help whenever necessary.
- Dementia is a progressive disease, and during the late stages, the body gets affected the most.
Touch your loved one’s hands, maintain eye contact and stay physically close to them. Such a form of gesture will ensure security and help your loved one to stay calm.
- Plan activities that will interest your loved one.
Plan outdoor activities, take them for a walk in a garden or a nearby park. Ensure that your loved one is comfortable doing the activities and is enjoying your company. Try and engage yourself in all the activities your loved one is a part of.
Handling the needs of daily living
As the disease progresses, your loved one will find it extremely difficult to carry out their daily tasks. Therefore, in addition to handling the changing behavior of your loved one. Caregivers also need to take care of the several other needs of their loved ones.
There are various tips to consideration for daily living, personal hygiene, and body care. Often, your loved one forget to take care of their body. And are pretty forgetful about their personal hygiene. It, therefore, becomes the prime responsibility of the caregivers. To take good care of the personal hygiene of their loved one.
Tips for bathing
- Set up a good bathing routine. Follow the same pattern every day.
- Avoid introducing any change in the bathing and dressing routine.
- After bathing, gently massage with a good moisturizer. To keep skin healthy and moisturized.
- The dressing is an important step after the massage. Keep the dresses in the right order, and show the way they are to wear them.
Incontinence
Using the bathroom can be a challenge. Your loved one who is in the advanced stage of dementia often suffers from incontinence. However, the problem is not always incontinence. But many times, your loved one tends to forget the way to their toilet. It is a stressful problem and caregivers need to handle this with special care.
Tips for incontinence
- Make visiting the toilet a part of their daily routine. Set up specific times to go daily.
- Mark the toilet with a symbol and the passage to the toilet should be well lit.
- Help your seniors with the cleaning process, if they are unable to do it by themselves.
Meal time
In many cases, your loved one with dementia often tends to eat a lot more. In other cases, your loved one tend to eat much less. As they don’t enjoy eating or have completely forgotten the way to use utensils. Depending on the situation, your loved one will either tend to gain or lose weight. Here are some tips to help your seniors eat well during their meal time.
Tips for mealtime
- Do not try to introduce new food items. Offer them well-known foods.
- Make sure the dentures fit well and are not too tight nor too loose.
- Artificial sweetening the foods will make it more tempting for your loved one.
- Provide foods that are easy to chew. Avoid hard and spicy foods.
- Ensure that the fluid intake of your loved one is adequate. Too little or excess fluids can be harmful.
Fall prevention
As dementia progresses, your loved one usually tend to lose control over their body movements. This makes them easily susceptible to fall. Making them strong candidates for fractures and surgery. Some of the following tips can help the caregivers take steps to make their loved one’s home “fall proof”.
Tips to prevent falls
- Ensure there are no cable wires loose on the floor.
- Secure all rugs in the passageways.
- Install handrails wherever possible to prevent falls.
- Stairs, ramps, and doorsteps should be appropriately marked.
Conclusion for dementia
These are danger zones and should be well lit to prevent your seniors from falling. All the above-mentioned tips should help the caregivers take better care of their loved one with late-stage dementia. While dementia can be disturbing, caregivers can still make their seniors feel relaxed. And help them lead a normal and comfortable life. For more information, check out this site for dementia.