From the individual’s experience living with dementia to their friends and family seeing a loved one face this challenging condition, it’s important to know you’re not alone.
Dementia is becoming more commonly diagnosed, and with that comes increased awareness around the support that is needed. That’s for all involved.
Fortunately, in this digital age, a quick internet search can pull up local dementia care Tallahassee and other support systems in place to overcome the challenges dementia brings.
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Common Challenges People Living With Dementia Face
Some of the challenges people living with dementia face are more well-known than others. This can leave families and friends caught unawares when certain changes in their loved ones arise. Here are the common progressive effects dementia can have on an individual living with the condition.
Memory loss
One of the most well-known associations with dementia is that it affects memory. Not only can this be upsetting when your relative or friend forgets those nearest and dearest to them, but it can also be dangerous. Forgetting to switch off appliances or misremembering their way home from the local store.
Difficulty communicating
Alongside memory loss, you’ll notice that a communication barrier suddenly appears. Using the wrong words or getting lost in what they were talking about is common. This can cause frustration and anger or result in the person living with dementia retreating into a solitary world. The latter can easily develop into loneliness and depression if not spotted and addressed in time.
Behavior changes
A usually pleasant and calm person can demonstrate an out-of-the-ordinary temper and other behavior changes. A diagnosis of dementia is a life-changing event that can naturally provoke certain feelings of unfairness and bitterness. Why me?
More so than the psychological impact of the diagnosis, dementia can have an effect on personality at a deeper level. Dementia damages the temporal and frontal lobe areas of the brain, which are responsible for empathy.
Managing emotions
Continuing on with the damage dementia causes to these lobes, this also affects mood management. Individuals living with dementia may seem to have less of a grip on their emotions. Outbursts of anger or sadness are signs that they are struggling with managing their emotions.
How Family and Friends Are Affected, Too
It’s impossible to discuss the impact dementia has without mentioning its effect on family and friends. For one, it’s distressing to see a loved one struggling to cope with dementia. Moreover, supporting that loved one is hard work. It may require a family caregiver to forego other responsibilities or even juggle multiple tasks at once. This can lead to burnout and the development of mental and physical health conditions associated with stress.
Ways to Support Loved Ones Living With Dementia
Fortunately, there are practical ways to support a loved one with dementia without putting a strain on your own physical and mental health.
For example, when supporting individuals with everyday tasks, help them maintain their own independence. They’ll appreciate this and you won’t feel like you’re doing everything yourself. Break down tasks such as preparing food. Give them a safe chore to do while you handle the trickier tasks.
If communication is a sticking point, seek to stimulate rather than engage in conversation. Listen to music together or paint. This allows self-expression without words.
Keep consistent with daily routines so that your loved one connects certain times of the day with specific activities. It’s a way to exercise the memory and makes things easier for both of you.
To help manage behavioral issues, take note of what the triggers are. If there are specific triggers that set an individual living with dementia off, then try to minimize these. For example, if noise is a trigger, keep TV and radio volumes low. Also, keep calm and talk in a quieter but clear voice, even if sometimes you may feel frustrated.
What Types of Professional Support Are Available?
In addition to finding your own ways to navigate this challenging condition, there are support services to contact. Making use of all the services available to you will help to avoid undue stress and burnout.
Arranging for a regular meal delivery service or online groceries is a time saver for busy family caregivers. Some are even specially geared towards certain dietary requirements.
Family caregivers need a break, too. Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a full-time job. If you already have work responsibilities and other dependents, you will quickly feel the strain. Opting for in-home visiting carers to help out on a regular basis gives you back much-needed time for yourself. Carers can even be scheduled to cover longer periods of time, such as holidays.
The key to living with dementia, in whichever way it affects you, is to reach out and not be afraid to ask for help. Assistance could come in the form of other family members, your local community, or professional care workers. Just don’t go it alone.
