Tips for Living with Someone with Dementia

Dementia is an umbrella term for a person’s decline in mental ability serious enough to impede on their daily lives. One of the most common or well-known effects of dementia is memory loss. Dementia is not a specific illness or chronic condition, but a variety of symptoms that are associated with a decline in thinking skills and memory. Seniors with dementia will see a decreased ability in memory, communication, focus, reasoning or judgment, as well as a decrease in their visual perception ability.  Initially, those living with dementia are fairly independent. As the disease progresses, limitations become greater and the individual with dementia may no longer be able to live on their own.

There are ways that one can cope with their dementia, especially with the help of their loved ones. Daily living tasks become very difficult for many people who suffer from dementia symptoms. Managing funds can become cumbersome and keeping track of a schedule will seem to be almost impossible. Within the group of people who suffer from dementia, there is another group of people who are reluctant to ask for help. Often they don’t realize the severity of their illness and the risk their decline puts them at. It is somewhat of a snowball effect in the sense that when a person is not eating properly, keeping good hygiene, or remembering to take their medications, other health complications occur, oftentimes increasing symptoms they are experiencing. A little bit of help from family members and loved ones can go a long way.

Once a person has been diagnosed with dementia it is a good time to make some life changes. Keeping a list of daily tasks and checking them off once completed is a good idea. Also setting up medications in a pill organizer is a must. Pinpointing how dementia symptoms affect a person’s day-to-day activities can help in the long run and working with family members and friends eases the process. Also, investing in medical alert is a great idea since it is impossible to be everywhere at once so it is better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it.  If there is no one available hiring a part-time caregiver a couple of times a week to help get organized might be a reasonable strategy.

When deciding whether to use extra help, it is important to be as realistic about what you can accomplish in the day as possible. Working with a medical professional to set up a plan is a good idea. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. Friends and family members are there to help. Having a neighbor that’s able to check up on you will also help with peace-of-mind and your daily routine.

When you get up in the morning, or the night before, creating a daily plan of the task you want to accomplish each day. Once you have a schedule planned out, you will be able to save time and stress of figuring what needs to be done and when. Keeping a daily plan will help you accomplish your goals easier and faster. While you want to stay focus on a task to get it done, remember that you have more than a single chance to work on it. If you feel that one method is not working for you, adjust accordingly. Once you can pinpoint what situations or tasks cause you stress and anxiety, you will be able to change your plans or activities to help.

*** Written by Max Gottlieb for Merdian Counseling. Matt is the content manager of ALTCS and Senior Planning. Senior Planning is an organization designed to help Seniors apply to state and federal benefits to get the care they need.