Working With the Family – A Critical Component
Caring for people with dementia at home is difficult, but what we frequently find is that the patient is often not the real problem, rather it is the members of the family. Caring for a person who has Alzheimer’s disease puts an incredible amount of stress on spouses and children. They have known their loved one prior to the disease and it is often difficult to comprehend the changes which have taken place. Problems we often encounter are:
- The person with dementia still physically looks the same on the outside, but on the inside their
brain is damaged. - The family is accustomed to acting a certain way and after 40, 50 or even 60 years, changes can be difficult.
- Family members are often not educated about the disease and how to care for someone suffering from dementia.
Our advice to families in this difficult situation are as follows:
- Get help – caring for a person with dementia has to be a team effort. Enlist the services of all family and friends who are willing and capable to assist. If there is still time in which care is required, hire a professional care-giving service who understands dementia.
- Get educated – learn as much as you can about the disease and how to care for a person with dementia. Go to seminars, read books, watch videos and go to reliable online sources.
- Realize that the person with dementia is no longer capable of change. Accept them how they are and learn what changes you can make.
Dementia is a difficult disease, but with the right tools and partners, it is often manageable at home.
By Gary Skole
