Although the elderly are mostly affected by dementia, it is not a normal part of the ageing process. Globally, 35.6 million people suffer from dementia and a new case is diagnosed every four seconds.
Try to start by understanding why the person suffering from dementia is getting upset- Neville Zammit
In Malta, the numbers are also on the rise. In fact, it is estimated that in three years’ time, 1.25 per cent of our population will suffer from dementia. This counts for approximately 4,892 cases.
Dementia is a degenerative condition which causes deterioration in thinking, memory, behaviour and the ability to perform basic tasks and activities of daily living.
It is caused by various types of brain illnesses, the most common being Alzheimer’s disease, which is also a major cause of disability and loss of independence among the elderly.
Other contributing factors may be vascular dementia and dementia with lewy bodies, an abnormal collection of protein that develops inside the brain’s nerve cells.
Caregivers and family members of people suffering from dementia often suffer a great deal of physical, psychological and emotional stress. However, if diagnosed early, a better quality of life can be provided.
Common symptoms of dementia are forgetfulness, loss of orientation in time and place, difficulty with communication and changes in personal behaviour.
If your loved one is diagnosed with dementia, follow these few care tips to provide a better quality of life.
• Provide accurate information to the caring physician. Doctors tend to rely on the caregivers’ information to form a better judgement of the condition. Therefore, the more information you can provide your doctor with, the better.
• Describe any behavioural changes that are occurring. With just a brief assessment, your doctor will not know if the person suffering from dementia, for example, spent a restless night wandering around the house.
It is crucial to clarify your worries. Doctors will be more than willing to help you deal with specific challenges that, as a caregiver, you are going through.
• Learn to recognise behaviours. If the person suffering from dementia is in an agitated state, pulling at their own clothing, this may indicate that they need to use the bathroom. Behaviours vary from one person to another. It may take some time and patience to understand all these changes.
• Repetitive speech or action is a common behaviour with people suffering from dementia. If this occurs, provide comfort and reassurance with soft words and touch. If never done before, now might be the right time to hug your parent or loved one, as it will help release some of the anxiety and help relieve some of your own stress as well.
• Another effective method to deal with repetitive speech is to distract the person with another activity and avoid reminding them they have just asked the same question over and over, as this may create more anxiety and distress.
• Dealing with aggressive behaviour is no easy task. As a caregiver, you might feel unsafe and also worried that your loved ones might accidentally harm themselves. Aggressive behaviour is, in most cases, unintentional and usually brought about by the person’s difficulty with memory and reasoning.
• Start by understanding why the person suffering from dementia is getting upset; this might be due to fear, hallucinations or discomfort such as pain. Suggest a relaxing activity, such as listening to music or doing some exercise. This will use up spare energy and also act as a distraction. Find a more relaxing place where there is less noise and people.
• Ask any friends or relatives wanting to visit not to come all at once, or in big groups. People suffering from dementia might find it difficult to keep up with more than one person and various conversations.
• Create a safe relaxing environment – remove clutter and have more light during the day and enough light during the night for the person to find their way around the house. Keep noise down and watch out for mirrors.
People with dementia may not immediately recognise themselves, so you can imagine how frightened they might feel when they see a stranger staring back at them. Therefore, it is best to cover mirrors during night time.
• Create a daily routine and label important objects to minimise confusion. Put up a luminous sign next to the bathroom door, and images of foods that may be found in the fridge and kitchen cupboards.
As a caregiver you have the right to express all your emotions, at times you may feel frustrated or impatient. If you find it difficult to cope, ask for help from family and friends or a professional caregiving service provider.
Mr Zammit is a care manager.
nzammit@dignityforlife.com