How to live with and Care a person with Dementia
The struggles that seniors and their caregivers face because of the Dementia, does not make their daily care productive. If you notice what caregivers feel or experience on a daily basis during their work, you definitely want to help them. In D-care we consider on how we can make their work more efficient.
Some useful information about Dementia
What is Dementia?
Dementia is an overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills that affect a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Dementia’s results might be:
• Memory loss,
• Changes in behavior
• Emotional fluctuations
• Confused thoughts
Dementia’s Symptoms
As the brain becomes more and more infected over time from the disease, makes Dementia a process that constantly changes. The ability of the individual to think, remember, be independent can be weaken day by day.
Dementia can affect everybody, no matters his social class or his origin country. Nevertheless, we use to occur Dementia on elders.
Every person who suffer from Dementia “lives” his own experience, which depends from the stages of his illness.
Why is important Dementia to be diagnosed early?
Diagnosis can saves lives. Especially in a disease like Dementia, which symptoms can be treated, if they are diagnosed early. The most common symptoms people with Dementia show up are :
• Depression,
• Respiratory and urinary tract infections,
• Severe constipation,
• Thyroid insufficiency
• Inadequate absorption of vitamins
• Brain tumors
Diagnosis is also useful for caregivers of people with Dementia as they can have access to
The above stages will prepare psychologically and practically -professional and non-professional-caregivers of people with Dementia.
Can Dementia be treated?
Unfortunately, there is not a specific treatment for Dementia right now. There are other ways that can help a lot the person to minimize disease’s problems, such as physical exercise and music therapy.
Dementia has barriers on recognition and treatment. Because of the difficult the disease has to get diagnosed from the early stages, makes Dementia a difficult process. Nonetheless,
- Accurate recording of the individual’s history,
- Receiving information from the family and friends,
- Blood tests,
- Physical and psychological control
can help identify the person who is suffering from Dementia.
The life of a caregiver
A person who is diagnosed with Dementia will have a lot of barriers in his daily care. The everyday care will cause difficulties for both professionals and non-professionals caregivers, but thanks to the World Health Association, its work can be more efficient with the next steps.
• Encourage people with Dementia to have their own routine!
It is necessary for the person with Dementia to adopt activities on a daily basis and create his own routine. The patient should remain independent as much as possible. During this period it is common the person to feel that he may cause problems in his family and friends. So we have to give his own space and the chance to have his own opinion and choices.
• Happiness is the ultimate treatment!
Caregivers should share stories and moments full of laugh and care in order to make their patience fill comfortable and less stressful. Keep in mind that humor can prevent depression, so use it as a helpful tool in your work.
• You are what you eat!
It is very important for a person with Dementia to take care of his meal and his dental care. As the memory loss is one of Dementia’s symptoms, malnutrition is one of the biggest problems caregivers have to face. The person should adopt activities in order to have a healthy physical and mental state.
Practical tips for caring a person with Dementia from World’s Health Association:
The importance of Caregivers work
Due to the depression and the stress caregivers may feel in the management of caring a patient with Dementia, it is necessary to talk and share their thoughts.
Anger, tension and pressure are results that show up among members of a family that care a person with Dementia. Because of how seriously the disease is, both individuals and the friendly environment can be affected.