Every three seconds, somebody in the world will develop dementia. Currently, there is an estimated fifty million people around the world who are living with this condition. If you have an elderly relative who is suffering from dementia, making sure that they get the right care is crucial to ensuring that they can maintain a good quality of life, even with this condition. Dementia will affect not only the individual with the condition but also the people around them. It can be daunting to care for somebody with dementia, but there are several things that you can do to make the process easier for you both.
What is Dementia?
Understanding dementia and how it impacts the person with the condition is essential to ensuring that you can provide them with the right care and support. Dementia refers to the loss of cognitive and behavioral functions as neurodegenerative diseases develop, and it is more common in the elderly. It can impact a person’s ability to think, remember, solve problems, reason, manage their life and more. It can also lead to a loss of emotional control, which may lead to mood swings and personality changes.
How Dementia Changes a Person’s Habits and Needs
Many people assume that dementia only causes memory loss, but the truth is that people with this condition are often impacted much more than that. If you have a loved one with dementia, you may notice that the condition progresses leading to changes in the way that they communicate, behave, and more. It’s not uncommon for likes and dislikes, sleeping patterns, eating habits and more to change. It may sometimes cause it to become unsafe for seniors to live alone, in which case, professional help such as moving to Monarch Communities may be required.
How to Support Somebody with Dementia
There are several things that you can do to help support somebody who has dementia. Offering support with daily tasks can be helpful, but it’s a good idea to keep the individual’s independence in mind and avoid doing everything for them. It may be helpful to communicate with them in simpler terms, and do what you can to encourage them with exercise, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet.
When to Seek Professional Help
Understanding the early signs of dementia is important, as the sooner your relative gets help and treatment, the better. Many people with dementia do better in an environment where they are able to access professional help, support and care. If you feel that your loved one is only struggling more and more over time to live on their own, or you are not able to personally provide the level of support that they need, then it may be worth speaking to a doctor about which options are available for them.
Caring for a loved one with dementia is not an easy task. Dementia can affect people differently, and understanding your loved one’s changing needs, while taking into account how the condition is affecting them personally, is important.
Read More: How to Support Senior Family Members
