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.
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.
Hallucinations, delusions and paranoia are all symptoms that individuals with dementia commonly experience. It can be distressing to witness these types of behaviors in a loved one, but you can help by understanding each of these symptoms, the differences between them and how to manage them.
Nearly half of individuals diagnosed with dementia experience anxiety, but you can help your loved one to manage anxiety by understanding its causes and having strategies in place. This may also help to prevent the worsening of cognitive function that can be caused by anxiety. Helping your loved one manage their dementia-related anxiety starts with understanding the signs and symptoms.
Dementia can cause several types of cognitive problems, but memory loss is the most common. If your parent’s been diagnosed with dementia, they may remember a lot of things in the early stages, but will forget things about themself and others as the disease progresses – including the fact that they have dementia.
No matter how much we love each other, family is complicated. When you first got married, you probably never thought about the possibility of your spouse’s aging parent living with you one day. But if you’re in that situation now, or if someone else in your life has become a family caregiver, things might feel like they’re changing, and not for the better. Caregiving can be challenging, but many caregivers find that giving a loved one a better quality of life is extremely rewarding. And you may find that giving the caregiver you love the support they need is a reward in itself.
Early-onset dementia, also known as young-onset dementia, refers to cognitive declines that happen in the brain before age 65. Early-onset dementia is unexpected, meaning that individuals who’ve been diagnosed and their families are usually unprepared for what lies ahead. If you’ve just received an early-onset dementia diagnosis in your family, this blog post can help you to create a care plan for your loved one and to plan for the future.
Have you ever felt refreshed and less stressed after partaking in a fun activity? Sometimes, a change of scenery does us some much-needed good. Our loved ones with dementia especially benefit from getting out and doing things that are fun and away from the daily routine.