7 Tips From Dementia Care Experts and Seasoned Caregivers

Here are 7 tips from dementia care experts and seasoned caregivers:

 1. Learn all you can about effective ways to communicate with your loved one as the disease progresses. Most experts recommend that you "meet your loved one where they are." In earlier days, it was considered important to spend a lot of time on "reality orientation"—providing the person with repetitive reminders about the time, the date, the place, the identity of people and so forth. Nowadays, experts believe, it's best to meet the person in their own reality as much as you can, rather than correcting them or continually reminding them of things.

 2. Share your insights with guests before visits. Family members and close friends who want to spend time with your loved one might hesitate, feeling uncertain about how to interact with your loved one and uncomfortable about the changes in your loved one’s personality and behavior. Talk to these friends beforehand so they know what circumstances to be prepared for. Your reassurance and guidance can create a more relaxed, enjoyable visit.

3. Encourage visitors to share an activity with your loved one. Conversation can be stressful for people with dementia, making them feel put on the spot. The context of an activity can make for a much more pleasant visit. Provide art supplies or craft materials so your loved one and guest can create a project together. Bring out a simple jigsaw puzzle, or perhaps ingredients to bake a goodie. You might all go for a walk outdoors ... interact with pets ... work in the garden ... go to the park and watch children play ... listen to music and sing. All these activities can feel much more nonjudgmental and relaxed than trying to carry on a conversation.

 4. Include your loved one in family events. As much as possible, help your loved one continue to attend family gatherings, holiday celebrations and the like. As the disease progresses, you'll need to take into consideration your loved one's best time of day, tolerance for noise and reaction to changes to their routine. Again, talk to guests ahead of time about your loved one's needs. Small children, especially, benefit from information about why a beloved relative may behave differently. And remind family that sometimes your loved one may be happiest just observing the festivities rather than actively taking part.

 5. Take advantage of specialized dementia-friendly activities. Many communities today offer innovative activity programs for people with Alzheimer's, such as "Alzheimer's cafés," where people with dementia and their caregivers can interact in a nonjudgmental environment. Art museums, musical organizations and public libraries have dementia-friendly programs where participants can explore their creativity without fear of stigma. Parks departments offer walking programs, trips to the zoo and intergenerational programs. These special programs bring people with dementia out of their shell and help them express and experience joy.

 6. Hire an experienced in-home caregiver. If you are providing care for a loved one with memory loss, you know it can be exhausting trying to manage your loved one's needs while keeping up with your job obligations, your own healthcare and other tasks. A professional caregiver with training and experience in caring for people with dementia can not only provide supervision and assistance with your loved one's health and personal care needs, but, just as importantly, can provide companionship and appropriate outings and activities. This frees family to take some time for themselves. We all need a break, especially dementia caregivers!

7. Be flexible. Your loved one may have good days and bad days; an activity that was well-received on one day might cause frustration and agitation the next day. Which times of day are best for your loved one? (Often, mornings are the best.) Let visitors know that you might have to cut a visit short. This is another area where meeting your loved one where they are is the most effective policy.