When a parent receives a dementia diagnosis, it can be a scary time for everyone involved. You may be concerned about the future and feel like everything is uncertain. Knowing how best to support your parent and access support for yourself can make this time more manageable. At Home Care Assistance, our Care Professionals are experienced in supporting families during a dementia diagnosis, so we have put together this blog to help you.
Learn About Dementia
Dementia is a progressive condition affecting cognitive function that impacts almost every aspect of a person’s life. It affects a person’s thinking, behaviour, memory and social interactions. Learning as much as you can about dementia helps you:
- Understand what the future holds
- Be aware of what support services your loved one and wider family may need, and how and when to access these
- Make informed choices about types of care and other associated issues
- Know what kinds of professionals can support your parent
- Know how to interact with your parent in a meaningful manner, especially as their dementia progresses.
You can learn about dementia online – make sure you access reputable sources such as Dementia Australia. Focus on positive steps you can take to support your parent and avoid reading negative stories that are not constructive. You can also learn what to expect by speaking to your parent’s specialists. It can be a good idea to sit down with your parent and make a list of everyone’s questions before any appointments so you can remember to ask them all.
Communicating with Someone with Dementia
A person with dementia can struggle to process information. However, effective and meaningful communication can make a big difference to your parents’ quality of life if they have dementia. As their cognitive processing declines, altering how you communicate can make things easier. Steps you can take include:
- Present information using simple language and in small chunks. Avoid presenting too much information at once. Pause and provide opportunities for interactions frequently during the conversation, as remembering questions can be tricky. Structure questions in easy-to-answer formats and provide limited options. For example, rather than asking, ‘What do you want for lunch?’ Try asking, ‘Would you like soup or a ham sandwich for lunch?’
- Use non-verbal cues. Eye contact, body language, and facial expressions help the other person understand the message’s meaning. Consider using touch to provide reassurance.
- Be patient. Communication can be frustrating for everyone involved if a person has dementia. Remember your parent is not trying to be difficult, they are doing their best to communicate as well. It is crucial to stay calm if they get frustrated. You can help relieve their frustration if you remain calm even if they cannot control their feelings.
- Involve your parent as much as possible. It can be easy to take decisions out of a parent’s hands when they have dementia. However, they are an adult and having a sense of control can help maintain their quality of life. Let them make decisions wherever possible. It is also important to have early discussions about what they want their care to look like so you can advocate for them when they cannot make decisions.
- Validate their feelings. Take the time to ask them how they are feeling and validate what they tell you. You may also need to look for feelings behind what they are saying. It could be that they are confused, worried or lonely, which is behind what they are saying. Taking the time to understand how they are feeling helps with effective problem-solving.
- Take a break. It can be hard work communicating with a person with dementia. Give yourself time out to engage in self-care.
Create a Safe Environment
Alterations to the home environment can be a key element to dementia care. It can make the home safer and easier to navigate. You may need to continue to alter this as their condition changes. Helpful things to do can include:
- Removing hazards. This covers a range of things including removing tripping hazards, installing grab bars and non-slip mats. Put harmful objects such as poisons and medications in a locked cabinet. You may also want to install motion sensitive lighting to make it easier for them to move around the house in the dark and find their way to the bathroom.
- Establish routines. Routines can help your loved one know what to expect. Try writing the routine down on a whiteboard or fridge with a nearby clock showing the date, day, and time. This way, they can see what is happening that day.
- Keep the house calm. This can involve removing clutter, ensuring good lighting, making comfort items such as a favourite chair or blanket easy to access, and even playing music your loved one enjoys.
- Encourage physical activity. Exercise is good for physical and mental health. Even going for a walk or doing some stretching exercises can be beneficial.
Legal and Financial Matters
Make sure you talk to your loved one early about these topics. Ensure they have an advanced health directive, power of attorney and will in place while they are well enough to make these decisions. You may also need to help them with financial organisation in terms of paying bills and protecting them from scams and poor financial decisions.
Build a Support Network
This is important for your loved one and yourself. Your loved one must have all the care specialists they need in place. It is also essential for them to have physical and emotional support from multiple sources. This helps them and alleviates the pressure on you to provide this support. This can even be having a family roster so everyone offers support rather than all falling on one person. You should also make sure your support network is in place. Make sure you reach out to family and friends to support you. You can also consider a support group or getting some counselling if needed. Having a loved one with dementia usually means they need support for an extended period. This means looking after yourself is an essential part of looking after them.
Engage Professional Support
There may come a point where you need a break or your loved one’s care needs are more than you can provide yourself. By reaching out for support from a specialist provider such as Home Care Assistance, you can help ensure your loved one receives the care they need. Do not wait until you are burnt out before engaging help. It can be a good idea to access support at home early for assistance with certain activities such as shopping, cooking or cleaning. Then, over time, this support can be increased as needed without being too big of a change. Don’t forget that respite care for your loved one can benefit everyone.
Support at home from a specialist provider, such as Home Care Assistance, can bring enormous benefit and comfort to your quality of life while living independently at home. Home Care Assistance has viable solutions when it comes to supporting independent living. For more information, contact a Home Care Assistance near me today.
