July 7, 2017
“Home is where the heart is;” but what if the person you love has dementia and says, “I want to go home,” when he or she is already home? Regrettably, when providing dementia care for someone, this is a common scenario. And the bewilderment and plaintive longing being conveyed are nothing less than heartbreaking – and, if we’re frank, frustrating.
At Continuum, our professionally trained Alzheimer’s and dementia Glendale caregivers helps families take care of complicated situations such as this, and we recommend trying the following to help return calmness to an unsettled senior with dementia:
- Instead of rationalizing, help the senior feel validated. Reasoning or arguing with a senior with dementia may actually build up agitation and unrest. Even when the older person is in the same exact home she’s resided in for the last 19 years, inside her mind, “home” could symbolize the security she felt in her childhood house with her parents. Her feelings of loss are very authentic, and should be recognized.
- Offer reassurance. Maintain a calm, pleasant tone of voice and body language and sit down alongside the senior, giving consolation with a hug, hand-holding, or possibly kindly touching the person’s arm, if these kinds of actions are accepted.
- Next, refocus. When you’ve supplied a calming presence and affirmed the person’s views, redirection to a pleasant, engaging activity can be helpful. Walking outside or perhaps in another section of the house, listening to favorite songs, or checking out picture albums are just a couple of options; take into account the individual and include the things that work best for her.
For more tips about helping bring back peace to a troubled loved one with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, contact Continuum at (314) 863-9912. We can help keep seniors safe, enrich socialization, and present them with chances to reinforce both cognitive and physical wellbeing through services such as:
- Patient, sensitive help with personal care responsibilities such as bathing and dressing
- Participating in chats and reminiscing about the past
- Help with doctor-approved exercise and activities
- Playing board games, cards or games on a tablet devise with the senior
- Prepping nutritious meals
- Running errands like picking up groceries and prescription medications
- Providing transportation to medical appointments and other outings
- And so much more
Whether just a few hours each week of respite care for primary family caregivers are required, or full-time, seamless, around-the-clock caregiving is desired, we’re on hand to partner with you to deliver the very best quality dementia care. Contact us to find out more and to arrange for a free in-home assessment.