Becoming a family caregiver for someone with dementia is a big life change. If someone in your life has become a family caregiver, here are 10 ways you can support them during this transition.
Sometimes, a person has always been forceful or aggressive and they’re simply continuing this behavior, but that’s often not the case. So when someone you’ve known for years to be a kind and gentle person suddenly becomes mean or violent, it can be a huge emotional shock.
One of the challenges that many people caring for a parent with dementia face at some point is their parent’s refusal to accept care. When this happens to you, it might feel like your parent just wants to be difficult, but this resistance actually comes from the symptoms of dementia and the accompanying impaired mental functions. What comes off as stubbornness is often confusion, fear, stress or anxiety. It’s a frustrating experience, to be sure, but there are a few steps you can take to alleviate your parent’s concerns and make caregiving a more positive experience for you both.
Caregivers have been using technology to help care for individuals with dementia for years. Things like digital reminders, alarm clocks that display the current date and time in large numbers and automatic pill dispensers can be very helpful to both caregivers and their loved ones. And as technology advances, so do dementia caregiving solutions.
Your loved one’s level of safety in and around the home depends on several factors, like if they’re still independent, can still drive & if they need 24/7 care.
Caregiving for a family member with dementia is a tough job, both physically and mentally. And things can get a little more challenging during the holidays. You might find yourself struggling to keep up with your caregiving duties and other obligations, as well as shopping, cooking, cleaning and the other preparations the holiday season often entails.
Not sure if your parent is showing early signs of dementia or simply exhibiting memory loss that’s a normal part of aging? Here are 8 early signs of dementia to look for.
Dementia that begins earlier in life is rare, but it does happen. Early-onset dementia can start as early as 30, but usually happens around age 50. Because it starts so much earlier in life, early-onset dementia comes with some unique challenges for individuals, as well as their families.