Advice by Alicia: Navigating Dementia Caregiving

Q: My family member was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. We plan to provide care at home for her as long as possible. Do you have any advice?

A: There’s no one way to approach dementia caregiving, but there are some tried and true tips that can help you and people with dementia throughout the caregiving journey. Check out this comprehensive guide below.

Tips for Those Serving as a Family Caregiver to a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Forms of Dementia

1 | Find Ways to Prevent or Reduce Negative Behaviors

A person with dementia may be more prone to anger, agitation, and negative behavioral symptoms. This can spur up both verbal and physical actions. These negative behaviors can be caused by many factors, from environmental and physical discomfort to lack of effective communication.

To help prevent this, try to identify the cause and investigate any patterns to avoid potential triggers in the future. Stay calm, be reassuring, shift their focus, and divert their attention to something positive. Whether you plan a more relaxing activity, play calming music, or simply listen to them to validate their feelings, it can help them to feel calmer.

If your loved one becomes physically aggressive, simply step back and put space between you. Try to refrain from arguing or restraining them.

2 | Improve Communication

Many misunderstandings can occur because of poor communication or not knowing how to effectively communicate with someone with memory loss.

• Let your loved one know you’re listening by maintaining eye contact and using touch
• Make sure to speak clearly and slowly
• Don’t talk down to your loved one
• Ask only one question at a time
• Use short, simple sentences that are easy to understand
• Avoid interrupting, correcting, or arguing, as this can cause agitation and negative behaviors
• Be patient as you wait for responses
• Repeat questions or information as needed

3 | Plan Meaningful Activities

Think about how great it feels when you can enjoy an activity you love. Plan some of your loved one’s favorite activities for them. Keep their interests and abilities in mind, focus on their enjoyment, and simply have fun.

Need some good ideas to get started?

• Listen to music and dance
• Create a piece of artwork
• Visit with pets
• Enjoy aromatherapy
• Watch their favorite movies
• Bake their favorite snacks together
• Go for a walk outdoors if possible
• Have them help around the house
• Play games or complete puzzles
• Tend the garden or water the plants within your home
• Have friends or family visit one at a time
• Create a memory box or a sensory box
• Give a hand massage

4 | Prevent Wandering

Individuals with dementia may wander in the early stages; however, it becomes more prevalent as dementia progresses. To prevent this, ensure you’re:

• Providing your loved one with engaging daily activities
• Ensuring plenty of exercise
• Meeting all your loved one’s needs
• Reassuring them
• Proving proper supervision

In the event they do wander, you should consider enrolling your loved one in a safe return program, have them wear an identification bracelet, and have them wear a GPS tracking device.

5 | Maintain Proper Health Care

If you’re caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you’ll want to maintain a routine care plan. You’ll also want to assess what stage of Alzheimer’s they’re in and how their needs are changing to ensure you’re providing the best care possible. Whether they simply need some support with bathing or dressing or need more assistance, assess their needs regularly.

6 | Watch Out for Caregiver Burnout

Prevent caregiver stress and burnout by taking time for yourself and doing what you enjoy.

• Rest
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet
• Exercise
• Spend time with friends and family
• Visit the doctor regularly
• Seek the support of friends and family
• Attend caregiver support groups

7 | Seek Knowledge About Dementia

Did you know that more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide? The National Institutes of Health shares that as many as 5.8 million Americans 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease dementia and that prevalence in the United States is only growing.

Knowing as much as you can about the disease will help you be more prepared for what’s ahead. With a deeper understanding of the disease, you will know what you can expect as the disease progresses.

Familiarize yourself with your loved one’s particular form of dementia, the stages of dementia, and what types of care you may need to provide. This may help you realize that your loved one will eventually require care beyond what you can provide and that looking for additional services like memory care, residential care, or in-home services may be needed.

8 | Make Use of Local Resources

Providing the best care possible means asking for help when it’s needed. Don’t try to handle everything on your own. Instead, use resources that are available as you need them. This can include respite care, meal delivery services, and more. You can also seek the support of long-term care communities and memory care.

Discover The Support You Need at Bridges^® by EPOCH

When caregiving for a loved one with dementia at home becomes too much, we’re here to help. Contact us to learn more about our communities and the dedicated memory care we provide.

About Alicia

Alicia Seaver is the Vice President of Memory Care Operations for EPOCH Senior Living and a Certified Memory Impairment Specialist. Every month, she addresses a specific issue related to memory and memory care. If you’re interested in hearing about a particular topic, please send a note to [email protected].

Enhancing Quality of Life

Bridges^® by EPOCH memory care communities have been developed from the ground up to anticipate, meet, and exceed the needs of our residents and their families. Our team of remarkable people, the exceptional care and services we offer, and the purposeful design of our buildings all combine to create the most rewarding, secure, and nurturing lifestyle possible for our residents.

Bridges^® by EPOCH communities are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, in the following towns: Norwalk, CT; Stamford, CT; Trumbull, CT; Andover, MA; Hingham, MA; Lexington, MA; Mashpee, MA; Pembroke, MA; Sudbury, MA; Westford, MA; Westwood, MA; and Nashua, NH.