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Tag: alzheimer’s

Tips for Communicating with a Senior Experiencing Memory Loss

October 17, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Communicating with a senior who’s experiencing memory loss or dementia can be a challenging or frustrating experience, but it’s a must to maintain a meaningful social connection. Your loved one might not only struggle to recall recent events but also find it difficult to follow conversations or find the right words to express themselves. In this month’s blog, we’ll share some tips to help you communicate with empathy with your loved one and to make communication easier for them.

Shift to Elderspeak

Elderspeak is a communication style that involves using a softer tone, simpler language, and respectful terms of endearment. But don’t use it to a fault as it can be harmful for seniors. Simply put, avoid complex sentences that may confuse or overwhelm them. Use short and straightforward sentences to help facilitate understanding and help determine if your loved one needs help.

Related: Learn more about signs your aging parents need immediate help at home here.

Maintain a Calm and Positive Tone

The tone and demeanor you adopt during conversations can greatly impact the person’s emotional state. It’s crucial to maintain a calm and positive tone, even if they struggle to remember or express themselves. Avoid getting frustrated or correcting them constantly; instead, show patience and understanding. Your positive energy and reassuring attitude can create a safe and comfortable environment for open communication especially if your loved one is a dementia patient.

Related: Learn more about how to catch early signs of dementia in seniors here.

Use Visual Cues and Non-verbal Communication

When words fail, visual cues and non-verbal communication can play a significant role in conveying your message. Use gestures, facial expressions, and body language to enhance understanding. Pointing to objects or using pictures can help illustrate your point and trigger memories. Non-verbal cues can often convey emotions and intentions more effectively than words alone, facilitating a deeper connection.

Conclusion

If you’re loved one is a dementia or Alzheimer’s patient, rely on Home Instead Senior Care for compassionate care. Our trained caregivers specialize in providing compassionate and person-centered care for seniors with cognitive impairments. Contact us at (910) 342-0455 or visit our website at homeinstead.com for more information. We are here to support you and your family on this journey of caring for your loved one with memory loss.

How to Catch Early Signs of Dementia in Seniors

April 5, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Dementia is becoming a common problem in society. Almost 6.5 million people have been actively diagnosed with dementia, and that number is projected to rise to 13 million by 2050, according to a 2022 report from the Alzheimer’s Association. As people age, they become prone to dementia. Here are some of the early signs of dementia in seniors.

1. Loss of Short Term Memory

The first sign of dementia is the change in short-term memory retention. Having trouble memorizing or forgetting daily tasks involving short-term memory is an early sign of dementia. People with dementia may also display other changes in their short-term memory, such as forgetting where they placed items and struggling to remember why they entered a particular room.

Related: “Improving Cognitive Health of Elderly People”

2. Difficulty in Managing and Finishing Daily Tasks

A subtle shift in the ability to complete everyday tasks is another possible early warning sign of dementia. This usually starts with difficulty doing more complex tasks, like balancing a checkbook, keeping track of bills, following a recipe, or playing a game with many rules. Along with the struggle to complete familiar tasks, a person with dementia may struggle to learn to do new things or follow new routines.

3. Struggling to Navigate Paths

A person who has dementia loses their sense of direction and spatial orientation needed to navigate their way around the block. They may have difficulty recognizing once-familiar landmarks and forget how to get to familiar places they used to have no trouble finding. Following a series of directions and step-by-step instructions may also become more challenging.

4. Losing Interest in Hobbies

As a person ages, it is rare for them to lose interest in things and hobbies they used to enjoy in their youth. This kind of behavior change is an alarming sign of dementia. They may also lose interest in spending time with friends and family and seem emotionally flat. This apathetic behavior can potentially indicate dementia.

Related: “How to Take Care of an Alzheimer’s Patient – The Ultimate Guide”

Conclusion

When your loved one displays troubling symptoms, you’ll need highly experienced caregivers who are experienced with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. At Home Instead Senior Care, our CAREGivers are professionally trained to care for your loved ones. With proper care and assistance, our team will keep your loved ones active and mentally stimulated so they can enjoy life to the fullest. Call us at (910) 421-2572 for further information. 

How to Take Care of an Alzheimer’s Patient – The Ultimate Guide

April 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Caring for an elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease at home is a challenging task that takes a lot of patience. If the patient is a member of your family, you may notice that sometimes their emotions can flip like a switch and range from anger to confusion. Not to mention, there are many troubles, pains, and arduous tasks that require constant care and supervision for an individual suffering from memory loss.

In the following guide, we will talk about some tips and advice on how to take care of an Alzheimer’s patient and reduce frustrations.

Before starting, you should remember that you are caring for the elderly with a child’s behavior. It is definitely a huge emotional and physical challenge. So, be careful not to pass judgment on them and sympathize with their situation.

The Difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s

To begin with, if one of your family members has Alzheimer’s disease, the whole family should know some basic information about the disease and its symptoms. You also should know how to cope with the disease to preserve the patient’s life from exposure to any harm, and to avoid the deterioration of their health. However, apart from the difficult technical definition of dementia and Alzheimer’s, we’ve simplified the difference between them. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease that affects the brain, while dementia is the decline in cognitive ability that includes memory loss and thinking difficulties.

Hire Professional Caregivers to Take Care of Them

Families who experience high levels of stress during the moderate and severe stages of the disease may deal with it with anticipatory grief associated with feeling the impending loss of their loved one. For this, you have to ask for the help of experienced caregivers to take care of your loved one. In addition, it should be noted that your role in managing daily tasks will increase as the disease progresses. Therefore, we recommend you consider the following practical tips that can help you manage tasks effectively.

Reduce Frustration

A person with memory loss may become nervous when tasks become more difficult than before. To reduce challenges and relieve frustration:

  • Give yourself time to rest: You will not be able to do all the patient care tasks on a continuous basis; take time to rest between daily tasks.
  • Involve the patient: Allow the person with Alzheimer’s to do tasks on their own, such as dressing independently, or making the bed or the table.
  • Give simple instructions: It’s best for people with Alzheimer’s to understand clear communication in one step. Avoid complex commands that require multiple steps or involve more than one task.
  • If the person with Alzheimer’s smokes, make sure the smoke and fire sensors are working properly and that the fire extinguisher is easily accessible.

Related: Alzheimer’s Care: Engaging Activities for both Patient and Caregiver

Conclusion

People with Alzheimer’s will require more care and supervision as their disease progresses. Caregivers can protect their physical health since they are highly trained and know how to cope with them. If you’re looking for the most professional and friendly caregivers in Wilmington, NC, Home Instead Senior Care is the best choice.  We have decades of experience taking care of people with Alzheimer’s. For more information about our home care services, call (910) 342-0455 today.

Coping with Alzheimer’s

November 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Alzheimer’s is a terminal illness that shakes families to their core, leaving people wondering how to help their loved ones. This overwhelming diagnosis might make you feel hopeless at first, but the truth is, there are ways to make day-to-day life less of a struggle with senior care. To learn more about how people cope with the disease, read this blog post.

Symptoms

Those who have Alzheimer’s disease exhibit a number of symptoms including: a shorter attention span, trouble recognizing objects they once knew, making choices, and communicating with others. Alzheimer’s sufferers also tend to lose their coordination and physical strength. All these symptoms make it challenging for the sufferer to navigate their own homes, which is why preventative measures must be taken. The disease cripples people’s confidence in themselves, but there are many ways to ease the burden on a daily basis.

Safety First

If your loved one has a caregiver, they can perform safety checks around the home to ensure patients’ safety among their surroundings. There are several general safety precautions that you can take to keep the home ready for anything. First, you should always have emergency contact information handy in each room, so you can be prepared for anything. Because many Alzheimer’s patients wander, another important safety suggestion is to install enough lighting throughout the house to ensure they can navigate safely. Rugs, extension cords, and clutter may pose a dangerous tripping risk, so the clearer the hallways, the better. Another important thing to consider is using childproof locking systems on cabinets that hold medicines and other toxic substances. Handrails throughout the home will allow your loved one the freedom they need to move with ease.

Recreational Activities

Physical activity can improve the overall health of every Alzheimer’s patient, as it helps prevent high blood pressure, strokes, and diabetes. Exercise can also boost patients’ moods, which will help them live with less worry and pent up stress. Depending on the stage of their condition, people with Alzheimer’s can participate in a number of activities like running, swimming and gardening, with some minor accommodations. Walking and other low impact routines are good for patients who have a more developed disease.

Reading and making art are more ways to help Alzheimer’s patients challenge themselves and stimulate their minds. Artistic activities can lower anxiety levels in individuals experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s, and may also stimulate their memory. Self-expression can help boost people’s moods and confidence.

Conclusion

At first, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be devastating, but with some research and extra help, you can help make your loved ones’ life much easier and safer. Those in need of professional Alzheimer’s care can count on us at Home Instead Senior Care, where we work hard to provide our patients with quality of life.

Alzheimer’s Care: Engaging Activities for both Patient and Caregiver

July 31, 2018 / / 1 Comment

When it comes to Alzheimer’s care, it is imperative to not only find things to keep your client occupied, but to find activities both of you can enjoy together. If the caregiver is able to take part in the entertainment, it is most likely that the activity will be more enjoyable and engaging for the client. Why not make your job even more fun?
When providing exceptional senior care for an individual with Alzheimer’s, it is important to have them partaking in mind engaging activities. When you set time aside for some fun, here are a few activities that you both can enjoy together.

Dance and Listen Music

Dancing is good for the soul. What can be more exciting than being able to move freely to a good tune? Take your client to dance classes offered at your local YMCA or schedule the activity to take place at the facility they live in. This allows them to partake in an activity that they have always enjoyed from years before and can continue to enjoy with other people too. If your client is unable to participate due to their current physical state, sit down with them and listen to some music that they would enjoy. Even this simple task of listening can do so much to brighten their day, and take them down memory lane.

Go Out and Enjoy the Fresh Air

Go out into the fresh air and stretch your legs with these different places to go. Be sure to spread your outings to avoid making them feel rushed and exhausting. Whether it be a store or a mall, a little window shopping can go a long way. This can allow your Alzheimer’s patient to get out of their usual environment and to be around others. While out, you can both grab a bite to eat. Depending on their dietary restrictions, take them to a place that offers food items that they can enjoy. Take them to a local museum to enjoy some art for the day. If they would rather spend some time enjoying the weather, take them to a local park. Being able to observe the scenery and people visiting the park can be a relaxing and enjoyable activity for them.

Stimulate Your Minds

When it comes to keeping clients’ minds stimulated, try to incorporate fun activities such as card games and puzzles that keep them thinking and engaged without growing bored. If they would prefer to play card games, a simple round of solitaire can go a long way. If they would rather put together a puzzle consisting of 200 pieces, that can be a relaxing and engaging activity great for them.

Conclusion

When it comes to providing Alzheimer’s care for a patient, tasks can become mundane and arduous at times. No matter how severe their diagnosis may be, they are still people who deserve to partake in fun activities. Depending on their current state of health, you be the judge of which activities would be best for them to engage in and also which they would rather prefer. Make your job feel more like a career and enjoy the little things with your clients too! Sometimes doing things outside of their daily routine can be positively beneficial and effective for them. Along with their caretaker’s presence, it can make each outing and activity that much more special for the both of you.

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