In collaboration with Rachael Wonderlin, Dementia By Day, Consultant to Source of Life Technologies
Earlier this month, we hosted a webinar all about caregiver stress and burnout in dementia. After the presentation, we took some questions from the audience.
If you weren’t able to join live, don’t worry - you can watch it on-demand here.
Here are a few of our favorite questions:
Q: How do I deal with the annoying, repetitive noises my dad makes?
A: Firstly, allow yourself to be annoyed. It’s okay to be frustrated by repetitive noises or questions—they’re annoying! You don’t need to excuse yourself to others by saying, “I know it’s not that bad in the grand scheme of things.”
Secondly, recognize that the person living with dementia probably has no idea that they’re making these sounds or repeating themselves.
I once knew a woman who repeated her daughter’s name constantly (we call this “perseverating”) even when her daughter was next to her. We were able to engage her sometimes just enough to keep her from perseverating for a few minutes, but it always started back up.
My best advice is this: get space when you need it. Bring in a home care company, don’t visit when you don’t have the emotional energy, and don’t beat yourself up for being frustrated.
Q: When do I look for home care help for my spouse with dementia?
A: If you and your family can afford it, my answer is this: as soon as possible!
There is no reason to delay or wait to bring in an additional caregiver. If your loved one needs help at home, even if that’s help getting to appointments or making their lunch, that’s a reason to bring in home care.
When addressing why you’re bringing in home care, or who this new person is, suggest to the person living with dementia that the home care company is there to help you. “I think we could benefit from a cleaning service,” you could suggest.
Q: How do I convince my mom that I’m her daughter?
A: The short answer is: you don’t. If someone living with dementia is having difficulty understanding who you are, know that it’s not that they don’t recognize you or love you, but that your age doesn’t make sense on their timeline. Instead of trying to “convince” them that you are who you say you are, let them guide you to their reality.
If mom thinks that you are her sister, allow her to continue believing that. You’re going to have a much better visit if you don’t spend the whole time arguing over which reality is correct.
If you want more information on dementia caregiving and missed the webinar, don't forget you can access it at anytime!
From senior care fall strategies to online engagement and mobile app opportunities, healthcare shouldn’t be reactive - it should be proactive.
Doors have been opened to on-demand healthcare and it turns out the overwhelming majority of patients, physicians, families and therapists want to continue down that path. The decision to modernize your senior care strategies is a big one and doesn’t happen overnight. Talk to the Source of Life Technologies team for the guidance and direction you need to make the change in your organization or home.
