Three Tips for Helping a Caregiver Or Family Member Caring for Someone with Dementia
Dementia affects more than 16 million people in the United States alone. The need for family and professional caregivers to be prepared to care for something dealing with this reality is extremely important. We have three tips for how to cope with and manage potential caregiver stress when caring for someone with dementia.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
The challenges of being a caregiver or even a family member for an older adult with dementia can be overwhelming. You may be dealing with processing the loss of the person you once knew, you will have to see their personality change and their memories fade, as well as, isolation and loneliness as the primary caregiver. All of this can lead to caregiver stress and an attitude of frustration and anger. A great starting place to avoid these feelings is trying to have empathy for your client or loved one. Imagine yourself in their shoes, not knowing what’s going on around you, not recognizing people you know you should, and not feeling comfortable answering questions or even understanding them. Do your best to practice empathy and think about how you might feel if you were in the position of this person. This can work wonders for your relationship with your client or loved one and can remind you of someone else’s humanity in hard times.
Use Slow, Clear Directions
As dementia gets steadily worse for those it affects patients slowly lose the ability to communicate the way they used to. Some steps you can take to make communication easier and more effective for your dementia patient are: speak slowly and clearly, repeat yourself, and ask close-ended questions. Patients need caregivers to speak slowly and clearly in order to process it as their ability to understand communication decreases. Be prepared to say the same things over and over as the person can’t recall them for more than a few minutes at a time. Lastly, ask close-ended questions. It is much easier for a dementia patient to answer a yes or no questions like, “Did you like the movie?”, than it is for them to answer, “What movie did you see?” Taking these small steps can greatly impact your relationship with your client or loved one and make being their caregiver easier
Do Not Argue Or Try to Change Their Minds
As communication and memory recall becomes more and more difficult for the dementia patient a caregiver can be tempted to try to have the person understand them when it’s not actually possible. After all, they are there to make their life better right? The problem with this is the client or loved one may no longer be able to reason or understand basic concepts, like basic hygiene, or why a car ride is necessary at times. Rather than arguing or trying to prove why a car ride is necessary, it is best to ask why they feel uncomfortable or to redirect a conversation. Redirection or distraction can be a much better tool than arguing.
Even if your loved one struggling with dementia can no longer express appreciation, being a kind and compassionate caregiver can be a rewarding job and makes a huge difference for the person you are caring for. It is also important to have a support group around you for when things do become difficult or stressful. Keep your own health front of mind and don’t forget to be kind to yourself - find ways to relieve stress and be supported. If you or someone you know has a loved one with dementia call Visiting Angels serving East Atlanta at 404-358-5877 for a list of services and find out if we are the missing help your family needs to have peace of mind and support.