Tips For Caring And Dealing With An Elderly Dementia Patient In Mercer County

By Author: Christopher Bonavita
Total Articles: 8
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The main goal of dealing an elderly patient with dementia is to help foster a new lease of life and to keep their self dignity intact. It is sometimes found that in Mercer County dementia patients it can be challenging to communicate (as they find it difficult to find the right words) and explain relatively simple concepts. By providing the right support and proper home care, you can help your loved one with dementia lead a happier life.

Here are some useful tips that will help you in providing a care for your elderly loved ones diagnosed with dementia living in Mercer Count residences:

1. The Right Approach:
You must understand that there is a certain approach which should be followed to reduce your loved ones’ anxiety by understanding their situation. In most of the cases, it’s found that people with late stage dementia are prone to anxiety. For their comfort, you should always offer a supportive stance by always being on their side of the conversation and always call them by name to get their attention, as people with dementia normally tend to remember their first name.

2. Offer Meal Time Help:
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... People with dementia often find it difficult to use utensils like knives, forks and spoons. By providing them with mealtime assistance (without making them feel that you are helping) will allow your loved one with dementia to maintain a safe and healthy diet. In some cases, a dementia patient will forget to have a meal or find it difficult to recognize or eat the right foods — this can lead to malnutrition and health issues. Always make sure to provide and/or prepare daily healthy meals with the right balance or nutrients and vitamins.

3. Assistance in Dressing:
A lack of coordination is normally found in a person with dementia, which can make it difficult for a person to dress him or herself. In this case, you may also need to provide them with the appropriate clothes as per the current weather (that are easy and comfortable to wear and put on/take off). Always avoid giving clothes that have a lot of buttons to dementia patients, as their coordination may be restricted, and this may lead to frustration and anxiety. You can also encourage independence of your loved ones by allowing them to lay out their own clothes (with right assistance).

4. Show Respect:
You need to provide respectful assistance to dementia patients that will instill within them your trust and hopefully enhance your bonding experience. When telling or providing assistance to them for doing a certain task, simply place your hand under the person’s hand or show politeness, which will make them feel comforted. At many times, a person with dementia finds it difficult to wash or bathe, which results in a lack of proper hygiene. This can affect the health and well-being of the person. You will need to take proper care and safety precautions while helping your loved one with bathing and washing by keeping in mind the person’s dignity and hazardous surroundings.

Conclusion:
At most of the time, you may feel that caring for a loved one with dementia at your Mercer County home can be confusing and challenging. In this case, relying on one of the licensed and most reliable home health care agencies in Mercer County will prove to be the best option. A trustworthy home health care service provider in Mercer County will provide a trained caregiver who will provide oversight and care of your loved one with dementia in a comfortable home environment.

This article is produced by CareBridge Home Health Care, which is a state licensed and reliable resource of home health care services in Mercer County.