Caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, but some practical tips may help caregivers and their loved ones navigate home care.
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functions like thinking, memory, focus, and language skills. It can also affect a person’s emotions and personality.
People with dementia need help taking care of their needs, like maintaining hygiene, preparing meals, and performing other daily tasks. Caregiving can involve tending to these and many other responsibilities.
Someone with dementia may require full-time care, which can be physically and emotionally demanding. This can take a toll on a caregiver’s well-being and may lead to a state of emotional exhaustion called burnout.
This article provides tips to help people navigate caring for someone with dementia at home while also attending to their own well-being.
Around
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be daunting and overwhelming, and may continue to present new challenges as the condition progresses from the mildest to the most severe stages.
Learning about dementia can help a person understand what to expect.
A caregiver should be aware that multiple factors can contribute to their loved one’s dementia. These may include chronic illnesses, behavioral conditions, brain injury, alcohol, and smoking. Not all of these factors can be modified.
A healthcare professional may be able to help a caregiver understand how dementia could affect their loved one, and how to provide them with optimal care.
The following tips may also help caregivers navigate caring for someone with dementia at home.
People with dementia commonly become confused about their surroundings. They may have difficulty navigating and locating familiar places, even within the home, and sometimes leave their homes and wander. Some individuals may experience increased confusion and be more likely to wander as night approaches. This is called sundowner’s syndrome.
Creating a safe, supportive environment can reduce the risk of injuries and accidents for the person with dementia and support their independence and well-being. Steps a caregiver can take include:
- improving lighting for better visibility
- keeping the bathroom lights on at night
- removing tripping and falling hazards
- reducing clutter that could cause confusion and disorientation
- placing important items where they are most visible and easy to find
- adding labels with signs or symbols to doors and cupboards to explain their purposes
- adding grab bars, non-slip mats, and a shower stool in the bathroom
- equipping stoves with automatic shut-off switches and safety knobs
- installing sensors or warning chimes above doors
- ensuring there are secure locks on outside doors and windows
- using safety gates to prevent access to stairs
- fencing in swimming pools
- making sure they receive natural light exposure during the daytime to aid with sleep, energy, and mental health
A caregiver can work with healthcare professionals to manage the health needs of the person in their care. These can include the following:
- Hygiene: Bathing can be challenging and can cause a person with dementia to feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, or disoriented. A person can help by ensuring the environment is safe and comfortable, helping their loved one feel that they are in control, and making an effort to protect their dignity.
- Medication: A caregiver can use a pill organizer box to help them keep track of their loved one’s medication schedule. If a person struggles to swallow pills, their caregiver should discuss alternatives with a doctor. They should never crush or break medication unless a doctor advises it.
- Healthcare appointments: A person can plan ahead to help manage their loved one’s healthcare appointments. This can include making specific notes about changes in their loved one’s behaviors and writing down questions for healthcare professionals in advance.
- Sleep issues: Many people with dementia experience sleep issues. A caregiver can assist by helping their loved one stick to a regular daily routine, ensuring their sleeping environment is comfortable, treating their pain, and administering their medications at the recommended times.
Dementia can affect a person’s ability to speak and understand language. This can be distressing and difficult to adapt to, and may contribute to social isolation.
There are several strategies a caregiver can use to help their loved one communicate. These include:
- encouraging them to participate in social activities and including them in conversations
- using facial expressions and body language, such as smiling or holding their hand
- maintaining eye contact
- asking simple yes or no questions, one at a time
- using short, simple sentences
- speaking calmly
Dementia may increase a person’s risk of loneliness, which scientists have linked to several health complications, including high blood pressure, inflammation, and diabetes.
Full-time caregivers may also begin to feel isolated, lonely, and overwhelmed. Building a strong support system can help improve the well-being of caregivers and those they care for.
Caregivers may find support in various ways, including:
- support groups for caregivers and those with dementia
- visits with friends and family
- social and community services
- respite care services, which provide short-term relief care from a
few hours to several weeks - music and art therapy groups or services
A person’s behavior may change as their dementia progresses. Common behavioral changes include:
- Being aggressive: If their loved one behaves aggressively, a caregiver should step away and call for help. They should not show frustration or argue with their loved one, as this may escalate the situation.
- Acting restless and agitated: If a person appears agitated, a carer may be able to help by remaining calm, offering gentle reassurance, and making changes to their environment, like reducing noise and bright lighting. Remind the person who they are, the people around them, where they are, or what they’re doing. Reference familiar faces, pictures, or objects.
- Repeating actions: As long as the behavior is not harmful, a caregiver does not have to intervene if their loved one is repeating actions.
- Wandering: A caregiver should allow their loved one to walk about during the day if it is safe to do so. They should accompany them to ensure they do not get lost.
- Losing or hiding items: Trying to understand what triggers certain behaviors may be helpful. If the behaviors usually occur at a certain time or because of something in the environment, a person may be able to help manage them.
- Having sleep disturbances: Avoiding overstimulation during the day and encouraging relaxing activities before bedtime may help relieve sleep disturbances. Getting enough natural light in the daytime can also help reorient a person to a good sleep schedule.
A caregiver may need to help their loved one plan for the future. This can involve creating a care plan and end of life planning, which
- finding and organizing legal and financial records
- helping them arrange a will
- assisting in the arrangement of a living will, which provides instructions about their medical wishes
- helping them establish a durable power of attorney to manage their medical, financial, and legal affairs
Caring for someone else can lead caregivers to neglect their own health and well-being. This can negatively affect their quality of life and their ability to care for their loved one.
The following tips may help reduce stress, exhaustion, and overwhelm:
- Asking for help: An individual can reach out to family, friends, support groups, or health professionals for help.
- Taking a break: Respite care or friends and family can provide a caregiver with some time to themselves.
- Practicing self-compassion: It is normal for a person to have unpleasant and difficult feelings, like guilt and frustration. A person may want to find a way to acknowledge and express their feelings, like talking to a friend or seeking help from a mental health professional.
- Looking after their health: Caregivers need to prioritize their own health by making time for physical activity, stress reduction practices, and healthcare appointments.
- Seek mental health support: If a person feels that caregiving is affecting their mental health, a mental health professional may be able to help.
- Getting enough sleep: A person should try to sleep for
seven to nine hours each night.
Caring for a loved one with dementia at home can be challenging. Dementia affects a person’s ability to think and perform daily tasks. It can also lead to changes in personality.
Some of the ways caregivers can help those they care for include creating a safe, supportive home environment, managing their health needs, and helping them with financial and legal issues.
Self-care is an important aspect of caregiving. Caregivers can help avoid overwhelm and stress by reaching out for support, looking after their health, and being kind to themselves.