Tips for caring for those with dementia

A lot of attention is needed to care for those living with dementia. If caregivers don’t understand the illness, there’s the chance it will make the person with dementia even more confused. Kenny Chui, Project Manager and Senior Training Consultant at the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing will give us some examples of behaviours those living with dementia may exhibit and skills for how to handle the situation.

Aphasia – This is when a person with dementia can no longer express complete thoughts, for example: for “watch” he or she will simply say “time; tick-tock; moving, round”. They may not know that they aren’t expressing themselves clearly. If the caregiver does not understand, people with dementia may misunderstand and have negative emotions. Sometimes the caregiver may stop trying to interact with the person to avoid conflict. However, this will affect the person with dementia’s chance to establish a relationship with them.

Countermeasure: the caregiver should try and understand the daily habits of the person with dementia so that he or she can guess what they are trying to express. The caregiver can enrich his/her vocabulary, and ask multiple-choice or yes/no questions in order to help the person with dementia find the answer. In this way, the person living with dementia will know that the caregiver understands and is trying to improve the situation.

“Sundown Syndrome” – This phenomenon has no underlying cause. It occurs when people with dementia cannot grasp time and place, and are therefore very disoriented. When dusk approaches, they may experience physical fatigue; plus, as it gets dark, they may not recognise people and places and become worried. These changes will make them very anxious and afraid, and can lead to a state of chaos.

Countermeasure: Take the person with dementia out more – two to three times during the day is suggested. This will help him or her recognise the outdoors and the natural change in the time of the day. It’s very important to be exposed to sunshine, and it will actually improve the quality of their sleep.

People with dementia will display all types of behavioural and psychological illnesses, including: being overly suspicious, suffering from delusions, wandering, insomnia, etc. Even professional caregivers will feel tired and must pay attention to controlling their emotions; de-stressing when appropriate, and seeking help.

Chui stressed that people living with dementia need structure in their daily lives; plus, with the help of some specific facilities, the living conditions of both people with dementia and their caregivers will be improved. Therefore, a long-term plan is extremely important. Let’s look at what little adjustments can be made at home to make life easier for people with dementia and their caregivers. You may also read the “Home Safety” session from the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing website for more information.