Dealing with Dementia: 3 Easy Steps to Help Mom when She’s in Distress

As the saying goes, there’s no place like home; but what do you do when someone you love and care for insists on going home - when that person already IS home? Sadly, if you have a family member dealing with dementia, this discussion happens repeatedly. And the bewilderment and plaintive longing being expressed are nothing less than heartbreaking - and, if we’re truthful, annoying.

At All Care in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, our uniquely trained Alzheimer’s caregiving team helps families deal with complicated situations such as this, and we highly recommend trying the following to help you return calmness to an anxious person with dementia:

• Instead of rationalizing, validate. Reasoning or arguing with a person with Alzheimer's might actually escalate agitation and unrest. Even when the senior is in the very same home she’s resided in for the past 19 years, in her own thoughts, “home” might represent the security she experienced in her childhood home along with her mother and father. Her sentiments of loss are incredibly genuine, and should be recognized.
• Give reassurance. Maintain a calm, comforting tone of voice and body language and take a seat next to the older person, providing comfort by way of a hug, hand-holding, or possibly kindly touching the senior's arm, if these kind of actions are welcomed.
• Next redirect. Once you’ve offered a soothing presence and validated the senior’s feelings, redirection to a pleasant, enjoyable activity will be helpful. Walking in the garden or in another section of the house, playing favorite music, or perusing picture collections are just a handful of recommendations; take into account the individual and incorporate what works best for her.

For further suggestions about helping restore peace to a distressed senior with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, contact All Care at (541) 857-9195. We can help keep seniors safe, improve socialization, and present them with chances to improve both cognitive and physical wellbeing through home care services such as:

• Patient, sensitive assistance with personal care tasks such as bathing and dressing
• Engaging in chats and reminiscing about the past
• Helping the senior to participate in physician-approved exercises.
• Playing board games, cards or games on a tablet devise with the senior
• Preparing healthy meals
• Running errands like picking up groceries and prescription medications
• Coordinating transportation to health care appointments and other outings
• And so much more

Whether two or three hours each week of respite care for primary family caregivers are required, or full-time, seamless, around-the-clock caregiving is preferred, we’re on hand to partner with you to deliver the very best quality dementia care in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. Contact us to learn more and to arrange for a free in-home assessment so that your family isn’t dealing with dementia alone.