If you’ve started caring for someone with dementia, we can’t pretend to be able to understand exactly what you, personally, are going through. However, we have a vast amount of experience caring for people with dementia and supporting their families.
We’d like to use that experience to give you some tips on caring for a loved one with dementia.
Two of the top three recommendations from people who have gone through the process of caring for an older adult with dementia is “don’t do it alone” and “first of all, take care of yourself” according to a study from the Journal of Research in Nursing
If you are constantly drained, never get enough rest, are not getting filled up emotionally and neglect your other relationships, you will be unable to give your all to the person you’re caring for, and you will unfortunately burn out
Give yourself permission to take care breaks every day, and make arrangements to organise respite care so you can get regular time off to maintain your social connections and get some space to recharge and live your own life.
Reach out to others around you for support and make sure that you eat healthily, get enough sleep and exercise.
It’s also worth knowing that studies show that people who have cared for someone with dementia say that they gained from caregiving, often by becoming more resilient, more caring and patient, and enjoying improved relationships.
Understanding dementia may not change the situation, but it helps you help your loved one who is living with dementia.
You want to understand what you can expect from dementia and the stages of dementia because you will be able to prepare yourself for it emotionally and practically.
Another reason for making sure you educate yourself about dementia is that it is common for it to cause misunderstandings and discord within the family, especially when things change or your loved one acts erratically and uncharacteristically.
Thankfully, there are many resources available to you. For example, you can go to the NHS for guidance on getting educated, or you can contact care providers who offer specialist dementia care.
Plans are important because they give you and the family structure for daily life which provides a sense of stability and lessens stress. However, you also want plans for a crisis so that you know what to do when you’re facing an emergency and struggle to think clearly.
There are three types of plans that you want to have in place as soon as possible:
The daily plan is really the daily routine for yourself and your loved one and your person so that you can provide the calm predictability that is so important to people with dementia. We’ll look at that in more detail in the next section.
The emergency and hospitalisation plan is important because it means that even if you feel overwhelmed and in a panic, everything is set out for you, and it removes the need for you to make big calls then and there. The plan shouldn’t be complicated:
It isn’t pleasant to think about, but the end-of-life plan is something that you will need to set up with your healthcare specialist and lawyer. This isn’t something we can set out here, but it involves ensuring that a will is in place, organising power of attorney, and ensuring that your loved one’s wishes for their final days are known (especially if they lose the ability to make decisions).
Routines are important for people with dementia and help to make them feel safe and comfortable.
The important thing is to find what works and then stick to it as far as possible.
This doesn’t mean that every day has to be identical because some variety can be good and it’s actually impossible to make every single day exactly the same.
But if you organise your routine so that there are significant anchor points that stay the same every day, that will help your loved one tremendously. Some suggestions are:
Apart from establishing and maintaining a routine, tips for daily life include:
Moving around the house and daily tasks that we carry out without a second thought can be hazardous for a person living with dementia, especially if they suddenly feel confused or disorientated.
With some simple
There are certain things you can do to make sure that your loved one reaps the benefits:
Ultimately, the best tip we can give you is to make sure that you know where you can get help, support and advice.
You will have your loved one’s doctor, of course, and the people around you, but you also want to have access to a care provider that can give you advice and be available when you need someone to step in for extra care.
If you want more information or you want to speak to someone about dementia or care options, reach out to us and we’ll gladly spend time getting to know you and your needs.
It’s better to contact a care provider before it becomes a necessity so that there is time to conduct assessments, get to know you and your loved one, and create a bespoke care plan for your loved one.
At very least, you’ll want to have a connection with a care provider for respite care from day one.
The earlier you get these connections made, the less stressful it’ll be for your loved one and you’ll benefit from having peace of mind that there is a plan in place.
Not yet. We are continuously expanding, but we offer dementia and respite care throughout Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Oxfordshire, and the surrounding areas.
Absolutely. Our care plans are tailored to your loved one’s needs and are supposed to change as the situation changes. We are a nurse-led company that provides expert dementia care, so we constantly evaluate the situation and adjust based on the progression of the condition.
Our goal is your and your loved one’s well-being.
Stay calm and be patient. Speak gently and slowly with simple language, repeating yourself if necessary. If you approach the situation with a reassuring tone, it will help avoid your loved one getting frustrated.
We're here to support you every step of the way. Whether you have questions about our services or need assistance in finding the right care for your loved one, our compassionate team is ready to help.
We understand that this journey can be challenging and we're committed to providing you with the information and support you need.
