Signs of Dementia: How to Help Your Parent at Home?

27 mai, 2022

There are over 40 million people worldwide living with dementia, and unfortunately, this number is on the rise. In more than half of these cases, the primary cause of the disease is Alzheimer’s disease (World Health Organization, 2021).

What is Dementia?
Dementia is the gradual decline of brain functions such as thinking, planning, and reasoning. If a person has a milder diagnosis, they can certainly continue living in their home environment but may need some assistance. In addition to family support, it’s beneficial to involve a care assistant who can offer dedicated help and support.

Early Signs of Dementia
We spoke with Maarja about how she discovered her father had dementia and how their lives changed afterward. Maarja’s family has settled into a large house, and her father lives with them.

“My father first showed signs of dementia back in 2017 when I happened to notice that he began confusing basic concepts. At that time, it didn’t seem like anything significant,” Maarja recalls, adding that she never would have guessed her father could have dementia. “After visiting the doctor, undergoing several tests, and reviewing the results of neuropsychological assessments, the doctors confirmed that he had dementia.”

Maarja shares how difficult it was to see an active and vibrant man struggle with daily activities. “For example, he didn’t know how to open the car door anymore or unlock his phone. Additionally, my father had always been a huge basketball fan, but he no longer showed much interest in it. We decided not to let him drive anymore for safety reasons, and many other activities became challenging,” Maarja describes their life change.

Dementia Treatment
The treatment of dementia depends on the progression of the disease. Although it cannot be fully stopped, its progression can be slowed down – for this, it’s essential to consult with the elderly person’s healthcare provider (Livingston et al., 2020). Family and professional care, along with personalized care interventions, can provide support for slowing down symptoms.

Dementia Prevention
Dementia is not a condition that can be easily prevented, as it develops gradually and often goes unnoticed. It can also be mistaken for normal age-related forgetfulness. However, if your parent starts asking the same questions repeatedly, cannot remember the names of close family members, frequently loses their belongings, seems very tired, and shows mood changes, it may be time to consult a doctor. A person with dementia may also experience periods of depression or aggression, as well as auditory and visual hallucinations, restlessness, and disturbed sleep patterns (National Institute on Aging, 2021). Additionally, their sense of risk may diminish, making it difficult for them to cope alone in a home environment as dementia progresses. However, with milder forms of dementia, independent living at home is still possible.

A Care Assistant or a Nursing Home? Or Something Else?
Maarja explains how she has always been willing to care for her father until she started feeling like she was losing her independence. “It’s very difficult to see my father no longer recognizing family members. He needed more and more help, so I reduced my workload to cope. I didn’t want to tell him, as he would have been disappointed to know I gave up a long-desired work role because of his health,” Maarja describes the difficult moments. “I was getting so tired. A nursing home was never an option for us, as that would have been too big of a change for him. Thankfully, his condition is still mild, so with the help of my husband, we managed together for a while. But eventually, we needed extra help,” she says.

“A friend shared with me the CareMate platform, which she uses daily to arrange care assistance for her 90-year-old grandmother. It seemed like a great idea for us to try it as well and see how my father would respond to having a care assistant,” Maarja explains her choice.

In the CareMate environment, you won’t find just a typical caregiver, but dedicated care assistants whose sincere interest is to help others and provide emotional support. If caring for an elderly person is becoming too time-consuming, CareMate is here to help.

“I’ve now been using CareMate’s specialists for a year and am very satisfied with the service,” Maarja shares that everything has been running smoothly so far. “I trust CareMate because all care assistants have undergone thorough training and preparation, as they cannot provide care services without it. Over time, we’ve established a connection with two regular care assistants who we really like and who have been a great support to my father. This gives me greater peace of mind, as dementia is a serious illness, and it’s much easier to leave my father in the care of a professional,” Maarja says, satisfied with her decision to use care assistance.

How to Act If You Have a Family Member with Developing Dementia? Need Support?

  • Make everything at home easy to understand for them. For example, label containers for tea and coffee clearly. Place frequently used items in visible spots, and initially label them, then add pictorial labels later. Adding arrows (e.g., “open here”) may also help them quickly understand how to use items.
  • Ask questions! It may seem simple, but due to memory loss, it can initially be challenging with a family member as the situation is new and intimidating. Try offering your loved one support and encouragement, and ask different questions to find out where they might need the most help.
  • Ensure all bills are paid on time and no debts have accumulated. By reviewing their daily responsibilities and how well they handle them, you can assess where you may need to step in. Check that everything at home is safe. For example, keep medications and car keys locked up if necessary.

If you’re worried about managing everything alone, we’re here to help! Order a CareMate care assistant today at www.caremate.ee.

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