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Tips on how to care for seniors with
alzheimer, dementia, or other mental instability
Taking care of the elderly can already be an occasionally taxing chore, however dealing with the elderly
that suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other mental instability can be even more difficult. In this
brief article, we’ll go over some of the many ways you can make caring for these elderly residents
significantly easier.
There are many different types of dementia – not only that brought on by Alzheimer’s, but also vascular
dementia (when parts of the brain get cut off from the supply of blood), amongst others. The effects
can range from memory loss to being agitated more easily, loss of communicative skills including
hearing and speech, fine motor skills and manual dexterity, and general inability to do everyday tasks like
eating, dressing, bathing, getting into and out of beds or chairs, or even walking. A common issue is
maintaining the resident’s sense of dignity, due to the increased amount of care (especially on a personal
level) that residents with dementia require. Since most of this care is extremely intimate, it is important
to try and keep the resident from feeling overly embarrassed.
It is important to realize what types of difficulty your family member is experiencing, as certain facilities
don’t have the ability to properly care for elderly residents with dementia, whereas others might be
specifically geared towards them. Probably the biggest challenge is the sudden and unprovoked changes
in mood that most commonly take the form of anger, frustration, or agitation. It can be very difficult to
calm the resident down, and if their communication skills have been deteriorated, it can be even harder.
Sometimes a favorite meal or snack or form of entertainment will work, but it is important not to treat
the resident too much like a child.
Certain rare effects might be present, such as anachronistic thoughts or even fantasies. Some residents
might believe they are reliving a certain period of their life, and think they are in a different place or even
a different time than they actually are. While there are certain medications that can slow the effects of
dementia, there is currently no cure. All in all, your goal as a family member should always be to make
sure your loved one is receiving the proper type and amount of care, depending on their mental state. As
an employee, it should be to help as much as possible while intruding as little as possible.
alzheimer, dementia, or other mental instability
Taking care of the elderly can already be an occasionally taxing chore, however dealing with the elderly
that suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other mental instability can be even more difficult. In this
brief article, we’ll go over some of the many ways you can make caring for these elderly residents
significantly easier.
There are many different types of dementia – not only that brought on by Alzheimer’s, but also vascular
dementia (when parts of the brain get cut off from the supply of blood), amongst others. The effects
can range from memory loss to being agitated more easily, loss of communicative skills including
hearing and speech, fine motor skills and manual dexterity, and general inability to do everyday tasks like
eating, dressing, bathing, getting into and out of beds or chairs, or even walking. A common issue is
maintaining the resident’s sense of dignity, due to the increased amount of care (especially on a personal
level) that residents with dementia require. Since most of this care is extremely intimate, it is important
to try and keep the resident from feeling overly embarrassed.
It is important to realize what types of difficulty your family member is experiencing, as certain facilities
don’t have the ability to properly care for elderly residents with dementia, whereas others might be
specifically geared towards them. Probably the biggest challenge is the sudden and unprovoked changes
in mood that most commonly take the form of anger, frustration, or agitation. It can be very difficult to
calm the resident down, and if their communication skills have been deteriorated, it can be even harder.
Sometimes a favorite meal or snack or form of entertainment will work, but it is important not to treat
the resident too much like a child.
Certain rare effects might be present, such as anachronistic thoughts or even fantasies. Some residents
might believe they are reliving a certain period of their life, and think they are in a different place or even
a different time than they actually are. While there are certain medications that can slow the effects of
dementia, there is currently no cure. All in all, your goal as a family member should always be to make
sure your loved one is receiving the proper type and amount of care, depending on their mental state. As
an employee, it should be to help as much as possible while intruding as little as possible.
