Dementia Support
People with dementia experience a number of different challenges in their day-to-day life, and it’s important to recognise ways to support our loved ones and make their lives a little easier.
Here are some tips to help you with supporting someone with dementia:
- Limit news intake: For people living with dementia, having a constant stream of images on the news may cause additional worry and feel overwhelming. So, when these huge news events happen, the news cycle tends to be overtaken with distressing images and speculation about what might happen next, which makes it difficult to switch off from what is happening. Turn off the news for a while, try playing some music they like or a put on a light-hearted film.
- Supporting someone experiencing time-shifting: Time-shifting is when a person’s experience is that they are living at a different time in their life. This may cause them to become disorientated and confused about time and place. Listen carefully to what the person is saying to understand their reality. Acknowledge their concerns and try to reassure them that you will help.
- Dehydration in hot weather: For older people dehydration is a common problem, and especially those with dementia. Memory problems mean someone with dementia can easily forget to drink enough water. Therefore, it is important to offer a variety of refreshments throughout the day and make sure they are in a suitable cup, glass or bottle within easy reach. Perhaps, place a few bottles around the house for them to easily access wherever they are.
- Make sure the person is dressed appropriately: People with dementia won’t always remember to dress appropriately for colder weather, so it’s important to help make sure they’re wearing the right clothes. Layers are key to keeping warm, and the best materials for maintaining body heat are cotton, wool, or fleeces.
- Take care of your mental health: Dementia itself often brings daily challenges and many people affected by it struggle with anxiety and depression at times. For people with dementia, whose older memories are often retained and can resurface, this can make a difficult situation even worse. If you find yourself struggling with your mental health, it’s ok to seek help. We have some tips on looking after your mental health, read them here.
Living with dementia at any time brings challenges. But you or your loved ones are not alone. If you need support and advice, visit https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/ for a full list of ways you can support someone with dementia.