The Dementia Journey
A ‘how to guide’ for primary caregivers
When dealing with a person who has dementia, the care provider really needs to understand the person they are now dealing with. Depending upon the stage of the dementia, which could be Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) which could be from a myriad of dementias, to early onset of Alzheimer’s, all the way to advanced Alzheimer’s disease, in all scenarios, you must acknowledge the path they are on and respect their journey.
There are many types of dementia, and not all are Alzheimer’s, so knowing what the type of dementia is very important. Just like our bodies, our brains change as we age. Forgetting where you put your keys or what you had for breakfast is a normal part of the aging process. But, serious memory loss, frequent confusion and other major changes in the way our minds work are not a normal part of aging. Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. These may be signs that brain cells are dying.
It is most difficult for family members to adjust to the new way ‘they’ (the senior with memory loss) think. And truth be told, most family members are in denial and make excuses for why their loved one ‘forgets’ and gets confused. They just don’t want to believe this is happening. For family members to be the best they can be for their loved one there are some simple rules to follow. Robert Fulghum put it into words quite nicely. “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten”.
Some of those things are, Share everything, Don’t hit, Clean up your mess, Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, Wash your hands before you eat, Flush, Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you…you get my drift.
But the part I like the most, besides Take a nap every afternoon is, When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
To me, in the world of Dementia, this means, the traffic is all the people out there who don’t know you, who could lead you astray or misunderstand you when you can’t think like you used to.
And accordingly, when you can’t remember who you are, or where you are, you need to stick together and hold hands with your loved ones, so no harm comes to you.
But our loved ones don’t always remember this. So, it is our job as primary caregivers to hold their hand and stick together. Does this mean you need to ‘be there 24/7’? No, it does not! But it does mean we need to acknowledge that they are ‘actually’ taking this journey, know what stage our loved one is in and watch out for the traffic!
Only when we do this can we help them on their journey and become part of their journey by holding their hands and sticking together.
For more information about location Alzheimer's related programs
and services or memory care options, contact us today.