How to Chat With Someone Who Has Dementia

1. Keep It Simple

People with dementia may find it challenging to process multiple topics simultaneously, and they may be overwhelmed by open-ended questions. Keep your communication concise and focused—ask them one question at a time and make it as specific as possible.

For example, instead of inquiring what they want to wear, give them options by asking if they want to wear the red or blue sweater. As their caregiver, you can also apply this technique to discussions about practical tasks and recalling fond memories.

2. Remove Distractions

Some people with dementia are easily distracted and have short attention spans. Before talking, help them focus by addressing them by name and identifying yourself by name too.

When possible, speak to your loved one in a quiet space. If you’re at home, eliminate distractions, like loud music or the TV. If you’re at a restaurant or in a public place, find a quiet area away from noisy crowds.

3. Use Body Language

Dementia can harm the part of the brain that controls language, making it difficult to interpret and use speech. Use nonverbal gestures, like eye contact, nodding, and smiling, while speaking to convey your message.

Observe their body language to see what they may be trying to tell you, even if they can’t find the words. Support your loved one by allowing them to express themselves how they feel comfortable, whether that’s through movement, pictures, or sentences.

Ageism and a lost sense of purpose

There are lots of outdated stereotypes about elderly people, which can lead to isolation and marginalization in a lot of communities. By coming up with innovative ways to involve older people in the community through social events, we can not only help them to maintain a sense of identity and self-esteem but also tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience they have, which is so vital for the development of society.

Financial insecurity

While we are living longer, unfortunately, the world of employment and retirement has not evolved at the same pace. Many elderly people are able and more than willing to work past the standard retirement age, but the opportunities are not there. In addition, managing day to day finances and planning for later life can be challenging for older generations as much is now done online or remotely. This can also leave them more vulnerable to fraud and scams.

Difficulty with everyday tasks and mobility

A person’s mobility and dexterity will naturally decline as they age, which makes completing everyday tasks more difficult. This can gradually cause people to care for themselves and prevents them from being social, pursuing interests, or taking part in activities they enjoy. More support is needed to enable elderly people not only to live independently through products and programs which focus on safety, balance, fitness, and mobility but also to ensure they can continue to thrive as an individual.

Finding the right care provision

When complete independence is no longer practical, many elderly people require additional care. Sometimes this care can be provided by family members, but this can place a lot of strain on the caregiver in terms of balancing this with work and other family responsibilities. These caregivers need to be given the training, resources, and emotional support necessary to help them deliver the best care for their loved ones and themselves.

In some cases, it is more appropriate for a professional caregiver to be employed on a regular basis, e.g., when there are complex medical conditions and/or physical disabilities. With a comprehensive elder care service, the elderly person is able to remain in their own home.

Access to healthcare services

Healthcare can be complicated and disjointed for elderly people, especially for those struggling with long term conditions. The care requires lots of different medical professionals and clinics to coordinate delivery of medication and other types of care.

End of life preparations

We all need to prepare for the inevitable, but death is often a difficult topic for people to discuss or make plans for. Elderly individuals and their families need support when considering the end of life options available, financial implications, and how to ensure that the individual’s wishes are respected.

While aging is a part of life, the experience presents different joys and challenges. Some things get easier with the wisdom that comes with age, but other aspects of life become harder. Deciding how to face these difficulties involves making lifestyle choices, hopefully at a time when the matter is practical without being urgent. Many older adults wonder where best to live out their golden years. One option is to “age in place.” This phrase has come to mean planning, preparing, and adapting a home to make it a safe, healthy place to reside.

What are the Alternatives?

Just as it sounds, aging in place implies that an older adult will choose to remain in an independent, private residence, whether it’s a long-term home or a relocation. In contrast, a vast assortment of living arrangements is available, including retirement communities and assisted living. These locations were developed and built with the likely needs of aging adults in mind, so they offer amenities to the residents. From meals to entertainment, health care to accessible design elements, these places provide services, structure and community.

Why Age In Place?

The benefits to aging in place include the comfort of home, the familiarity of a long-term community, proximity to friends, family, and other support systems built during a lifetime. Moving can be disorienting and particularly difficult for older adults whose resilience is impacted by physical and mental health issues. In addition, the cost of relocation as well as the ongoing fees associated with aging adult facilities and communities can be prohibitive for some people.

What Does it Take to Age in Place?

Aging in place requires some adaptation to the realities of growing old. Most homes will require some renovation, which can be as simple as installing grab bars in the bathroom and rearranging cupboards so that frequently used items are easier to reach. Other alterations can be more substantial like widening doors, adding ramps or installing a full bath on the ground floor to allow for single floor living. Furniture can be rearranged to be easier to move around with a walker or other assistive device. In addition to these space transformations, aging in place involves some planning for existing or eventual needs:

• Finding alternative transportation when driving becomes unwise
• Getting help around the home with basic housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, and shopping
• Tending to health and hygiene needs as these become harder to manage

Finally, isolation can be a real challenge for older adults. In the event of an emergency, a plan should be in place to contact help. Regular interaction is important for mental and emotional health as well as providing a second set of eyes to make sure that everything is safe and comfortable.

According the AARP, 70% of Americans 50+ would prefer to age in place. It may not be for everyone, but this increasingly popular option is feasible with some planning and help. Priority Home Health has some of the best experience caregivers that make aging in place both feasible and enjoyable for older adults in Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River Counties.  We begin our relationship with our clients with a thorough assessment of their specific situation and needs, and we can offer custom solutions to allow them to continue to live at home. Contact us today for information about our FREE in home safety assessment at 561-766-1954.

Stay Active

In 2019, the Surgeon General published a report finding that physical activity is a crucial component to healthy living. According to the Center for Disease Control, the report found that older adults can benefit from simple, daily exercise such as walking or gardening. Benefits from activity include increased physical health, lessening risk of anxiety and depression, and better cognitive function. For older adults who have some mobility or cognitive challenges, a family member or home care attendant can accompany and assist.

Be Social

Isolation is a serious problem for older Americans. Research shows that isolation leads to a variety of mental health issues, including cognitive decline. Physical safety is also a concern, since older adults may slip and fall and be unable to call for help if they live alone. Regular social activity, visits from family or a caretaker, or transitioning to a community of older adults have important beneficial effects on the lives of older adults.

Live Healthily

Proper diet, consistency in medication, good hygiene, and careful attention to risk issues like slippery bathroom floors can help an older adult maintain a healthy lifestyle. As people age, grocery shopping and cooking can become more difficult, and remembering to take medication can be a challenge for someone with some memory impairment. Family and community often can help an older adult with these tasks, as can a home healthcare attendant.

Be Proactive

The impact of small issues can be magnified for an older adult. It’s important to be sure to get and stay ahead of issues by anticipating and addressing them. Regular checkups with your primary care physician to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is also important to regularly reassess the home environment to determine whether changes need to be made for health and safety. Priority Home Health provides free, multi-point assessments of our clients to help them determine what changes should be made to help an older adult maintain a healthy, independent lifestyle.

Healthy aging should be a year-round concern, but it is a good idea to take time this month to think about whether you or a loved one could use some help or changes to get the most out of their life. At Priority Home Health, we encourage our clients and their families to work with us to identify services that can facilitate a healthy aging lifestyle. Call us today to learn more.

Once you find the motivation to perform a certain task, it will often be easier to finish it. For example, once you found the motivation and went to the gym, you’re more likely to perform your routine because you’re already there. Therefore, the key about motivation is to find the ways that make it easy for you to start. Following the gym example, a good tactic to motivate you to go to the gym could be to set up reminders on your phone.

One of, if not the best, ways to motivate yourself to achieve a goal is to write it down and schedule a time to work toward achieving it. For this reason, if your goal is to develop a healthy lifestyle, you should schedule at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week to exercise. The importance of scheduling is that because you are already establishing a time to work toward a certain goal, you are more prone to achieving it.

The beauty behind scheduling is that it will allow you to build a routine. There’s a famous saying that it only takes 21 days to build a habit. As a result, if you schedule 30 minutes of your day for 21 consecutive days to exercise, you will more likely build the habit of exercising, and after the 21st day, you’ll be able to exercise without feeling the struggle of having to motivate yourself.

Now that you’ve learned about scheduling and building a routine, it’s important that you learn about rewarding yourself. Every goal you achieve gets you closer to a better version of yourself, and that’s why motivating yourself is so important. After finishing your 150 minutes of exercise per week, go ahead and treat yourself with your favorite meal because you deserve it!

Finally, it is important to stay motivated for the long run. A good way of doing this is through quotes. We’ve gathered the 10 most motivational quotes, so you can feel energized to take action, today:

1. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” —Vince Lombardi
2. “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” —Charles Swindoll
3. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” —Jimmy Dean
4. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” —Theodore Roosevelt
5. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” —Les Brown
6. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” —Mark Twain
7. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” —Michael Jordan
8. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” —Amelia Earhart
9. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” —Ayn Rand
10.  “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” —Rosa Parks