How to Handle a Diagnosis of Dementia
If you are the child of a senior that is in any stage of a dementia diagnosis, you know the heartbreak and frustration that both you and your senior parent are facing.
Elderly Care in Glenco IL: Dementia Diagnosis
As the condition worsens, the parent will progressively require more assistance on a daily basis, and their children are often left wondering how to handle their loved one, what to say, and what will come next.
Study up.
Now is the time to learn everything that you can about what a diagnosis of dementia means and how it could affect the health and the life of your senior. There are support groups and forums online that are full of people just like you that have a senior parent or loved one going through this frightening health issue. Talk to your senior’s doctor about ways that you can find help and information that will allow you to be supportive to the specific needs of your parent as they begin this chapter.
Hire help.
One of the ways that you can ensure that your senior is getting the very best care, is not alone, and that you have guidance through a diagnosis of dementia, is to seek the help of a professional home care company. They have compassionate and knowledgeable caregivers that will come into your senior’s home and offer assistance with health needs, house chores, and moral and emotional support to both you and your senior parent with dementia. For some, having the support of a trained aide can offer relief when the unpredictability of dementia strikes a family.
Communicate.
Continuing to keep lines of communication and conversation open is vital with seniors who have been diagnosed with dementia. In fact, a study in England found that just 10 minutes of conversation a day improved the quality of life of dementia patients.
Another perk of hiring compassionate caregivers to help your senior with home care, is that they can provide the daily communication that will help your senior, especially if they are normally alone in their home. Instead of sitting in front of the television or sleeping the day away, home care aides will encourage verbal communication as they build a relationship of trust with your senior.
Keep them active.
Exercise is important for both physical and mental health and may even improve the quality of life for people in all stages of dementia, so be sure that you or your senior’s caregivers are helping them to be as active as possible.
Self-care.
We can’t stress enough how important it is for you to remember to take good care of yourself during this journey. If the worry and stress become too great, and your own health declines, you won’t be able to provide the emotional and mental support that your parent or loved one with dementia will need during this time. Make sure that you are finding time for yourself, whether it be scheduling a regular massage, taking a yoga class, or developing a daily meditation practice.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Glenco, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
Source:
Medium.com
Alzheimers.org.uk
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