Caregiver Tips: Caring For Parents With Dementia

It can be physically, emotionally, and financially stressful to fill the role of primary caregiver for parents with dementia. Not only is it taxing to watch a loved one lose much of who they are to the disease, it can also require plenty of your finances and time to give them the care and attention they need. Undoubtedly, taking care of your mother or father as they suffer from dementia can be a daunting task. If you follow these dementia caregiver tips, however, you will be able to provide a safe and comfortable environment for your parent while keeping yourself healthy, as well.

Make Big Decisions Early

While it can be difficult to know how to talk to a parent with dementia, particularly on days when they are experiencing mood swings or personality loss, it is incredibly important to take advantage of times of lucidity as much as possible. Use these moments to discuss legal decisions, such as their living will and power of attorney, as well as their preferences for care throughout the end of their life. These can be difficult conversations but are essential to creating smooth transitions as their disease progresses.

Remain Calm and Patient

As your parent loses not only their memory but also their personality and sense of reality, it can become extremely difficult to remain calm in your interactions with them. However, this is one of the most important dementia care strategies. On worse days, you are likely to not even recognize the person in front of you, and when they begin action irrationally, your first instinct may be to explain situations as logically as possible. Unfortunately, this does little good for those suffering from dementia, and can usually cause emotional pain or worse confusion than before. Instead, work to remain calm and patient, and to meet your parents needs to the best of your ability, without becoming outwardly frustrated.

Take Care of Yourself

It is impossible to provide adequate care for a loved one with dementia if you are struggling with physical and emotional repercussions from the demand of the job without seeking help. When possible, seek help from other family members taking care of your mother or father. Employ the aid of respite care, daycare, or home health when needed so that your body and mind have time to rest. If you feel yourself slipping into prolonged depression from the weight of providing care for your parent, find a support group or therapy opportunity to help you cope. Keep your body healthy by getting plenty of sleep, drinking enough water, and exercising when possible.

Work with Visiting Angels in Reseda

It may be a very difficult task to take care of a parent with dementia. However, if you employ important dementia caregiver strategies or work with a local senior care agency like Visiting Angels in Reseda, California, you can cherish the time you have with them while also avoiding additional suffering for yourself.