Caring for someone with dementia

Dementia can cause a persons mental abilities to decline, causing them them to feel vulnerable and in need of help, support and guidance.
It is important for the carer to help the person retain their sense of identity and make them feel secure.
For a family member, caring for someone with dementia can be confusing and stressful as the sufferers behaviour can begin to change without prior notice.

If you are unsure on how to take care of someone with dementia follow our simple guide:

Respect

As memory begins to fade and behaviours change it is important to treat the person with as much respect as you would have previous to the illness. Treating the person more as a "patient" will make them feel vulnerable and confused.
It is important offer constant reassurance and support, engage in conversation often and be there to make the person feel valued and good about themselves.

Helping the person feel valued

When suffering dementia the person needs to feel valued for who they are now as well as who they were in the past.

There are many things everyone around can do to help, such as:
- Take the time to listen and engage in conversation.
- Show affection as you would have previously.
- Spend time to do activities relating to memories, such as building a memory book.
- Be flexible and don't retaliate to abnormal behaviour.

When leaving your loved one in the hands of a carer ensure the carer is aware of their daily routine and preferences. This includes the way they wear their hair, what food they like to eat and also how they like to dress.

If you make a change to their usual routine the dementia sufferer can become confused which will cause the person to feel uneasy or scared.

Think from their point of view

When caring for a dementia sufferer it is a good help to think from the point of view of the sufferer. Take things slow and easy and take time to understand their wants and needs.
Be chatty - it is easy to constantly make the person feel valued by engaging in regular chat.

Be prepared

When a person is diagnosed with dementia simple tasks such as finding the bathroom can become difficult. That's why we have put together our very own section of Dementia aids to help both the carer and the user.
For example by changing regular toilet items such as the seat or a grabrail to a bright colour, the user starts to associate the toilet with that colour making it easier to remember.

To view our full range of Dementia Aids click here.