Successful dementia care is multi-faceted. In addition to ensuring for the safety of the patient, caregivers must make daily living as comfortable and convenient as possible while coordinating doctor visits and other responsibilities.
With the long list of tasks that comes with caring for a person with dementia, mindful moments may get lost in the shuffle. This is unfortunate, as these instances are priceless in the person’s long-term care and outlook. Here are some actionable ways to nurture self-awareness and connections, so you can empower individuals with dementia.
Use Familiar Objects
Items like old family photos, letters, trinkets (like souvenirs and trophies) and favorite music are powerful reminders for a person with dementia. By incorporating past possessions into the present environment, you can stir memories and help them feel connected to their unique experiences.
Engage in Sensory Activities
Never underestimate the power that the senses of smell, touch and hearing can have on humans, especially those suffering from dementia. Caregivers can create “sensory stimulation kits” with different but familiar textures, scents and sounds. The person’s favorite perfume or cologne, certain essential oils (outdoorsy ones are great ones to use), a song playlist, and a soft blanket are some of the things that can give the patient a gentle nudge to remember and connect with times past.
Employ Communication Techniques
Effective communication plays a big role in dementia care. It can go a long way toward reaching the person and forging a connection. Use simple, clear language when talking to a person with dementia to ensure they can understand. Also, actively listen to their verbal and nonverbal cues by offering them your full attention, making eye contact, and paying attention to their body language, expressions and gestures. Encourage them to reminisce about past friends, family and experiences. These actions will help strengthen connections to the patient and decrease the frustration they can often feel by not being able to communicate their thoughts or feelings.
Create a Supportive Social Environment
Isolation can negatively affect dementia patients. Individuals who feel heard and respected enjoy greater self-awareness and stronger bonds with other people. Social activities, whether it be bingo, painting classes, exercise groups or music therapy, are key in building a person’s social network. Encouraging friends and loved ones to visit frequently as well as small group participation allow the patient to have a sense of community and belonging that is comforting and stable.
Caring for a dementia patient goes beyond ensuring their physical needs are met. By adding daily exercises that nurture their self-awareness and build their connections, the person can live a more fulfilled, connected and happy life.
Want to know more about dementia care? Visit our website for helpful resources and to discover why the Montessori-inspired lifestyle at our Desert Diamond Memory Care Pavilion may be right for your loved one.