For the millions of Americans living with dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other similar conditions, daily life can be filled with confusion, fear, depression and difficulty. Caregivers and loved ones also face huge challenges and it can be overwhelming to provide care and support. Still, there are some strategies to consider that can help make each day a bit easier for you and your loved one with dementia. Sometimes, the option of memory care at a facility for assisted living in San Diego can be your best choice.
Obviously, when you have and form of dementia, it's quite common to feel very confused and also disoriented. If a person with dementia is placed in a stressful situation this makes it even hard to cope. Making life as easy as possible and avoiding crowds, large parties and situations with a great deal of noise can reduce stress. To make daily life a bit easier, post up a schedule so that your loved one always knows what to expect. Help your loved one by handling the paying of bills and household expenses and consider removing any clutter or extra furnishings to make the home easier to navigate and maintain. If you opt for assisted living in San Diego, you will find that the apartments are designed to reduce the stress of a person living with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Keep in mind that people with any type of dementia might be forgetful and sometimes confused, but they still would like to be helpful. There are plenty of household tasks that a person with dementia can accomplish. They can vacuum, help with meal preparation, set the table, groom the dog, rakes leaves or work in the garden, fold laundry and organize various items. Once a task has been completed, it's nice to give a thank you and a hug, and this can go a long way to making a person feel comfortable and happy. Activities at a facility for assisted living in San Diego will be designed to be easy but engaging, such as painting or drawing, playing various games, sorting tasks and other activities that are especially designed to benefit a person with dementia.
Aside from the pain of having a loved one lose their memories, caregivers often find that the most difficult issues revolve around personality changes that occur with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Your loved one can lash out and become verbally or even physically abusive. Speaking in a calm and reassuring voice can help, and this is a strategy often used by staff at a facility for assisted living in San Diego. You can also try to distract a person and encourage them to move onto a pleasant task, such as taking a walk or having a snack.
Personality changes aside, it's often safety that is the biggest concern for caregivers. Your loved one with dementia might leave home and walk away, confused about time and place. Also, if they are ill or hurt, they can forget what to do in an emergency. Sometimes, a person might forget about food that is cooking in the oven or on the stove or leave water running for hours. Many people do consider assisted living for these reasons alone, they simply feel safer if their loved one is living in a memory care facility. With staff around throughout the day and night, this can be safer and even make your loved one feel safer, which can reduce stress.
If you do need to start looking for an assisted living facility that specializes in memory care, it is best to visit several facilities. Try to find one where the residents and the staff seem happy. Find a facility that offers activities that you think would be of interest to your loved one. An eldercare placement service can build a list of suitable facilities for you and your loved one to consider. Moving into assisted living can be hard and scary, so be sure to bring some favorite mementos from home and perhaps a favorite chair or a few other familiar pieces of furniture to make the new apartment seem a bit more like home.
Obviously, when you have and form of dementia, it's quite common to feel very confused and also disoriented. If a person with dementia is placed in a stressful situation this makes it even hard to cope. Making life as easy as possible and avoiding crowds, large parties and situations with a great deal of noise can reduce stress. To make daily life a bit easier, post up a schedule so that your loved one always knows what to expect. Help your loved one by handling the paying of bills and household expenses and consider removing any clutter or extra furnishings to make the home easier to navigate and maintain. If you opt for assisted living in San Diego, you will find that the apartments are designed to reduce the stress of a person living with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Keep in mind that people with any type of dementia might be forgetful and sometimes confused, but they still would like to be helpful. There are plenty of household tasks that a person with dementia can accomplish. They can vacuum, help with meal preparation, set the table, groom the dog, rakes leaves or work in the garden, fold laundry and organize various items. Once a task has been completed, it's nice to give a thank you and a hug, and this can go a long way to making a person feel comfortable and happy. Activities at a facility for assisted living in San Diego will be designed to be easy but engaging, such as painting or drawing, playing various games, sorting tasks and other activities that are especially designed to benefit a person with dementia.
Aside from the pain of having a loved one lose their memories, caregivers often find that the most difficult issues revolve around personality changes that occur with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Your loved one can lash out and become verbally or even physically abusive. Speaking in a calm and reassuring voice can help, and this is a strategy often used by staff at a facility for assisted living in San Diego. You can also try to distract a person and encourage them to move onto a pleasant task, such as taking a walk or having a snack.
Personality changes aside, it's often safety that is the biggest concern for caregivers. Your loved one with dementia might leave home and walk away, confused about time and place. Also, if they are ill or hurt, they can forget what to do in an emergency. Sometimes, a person might forget about food that is cooking in the oven or on the stove or leave water running for hours. Many people do consider assisted living for these reasons alone, they simply feel safer if their loved one is living in a memory care facility. With staff around throughout the day and night, this can be safer and even make your loved one feel safer, which can reduce stress.
If you do need to start looking for an assisted living facility that specializes in memory care, it is best to visit several facilities. Try to find one where the residents and the staff seem happy. Find a facility that offers activities that you think would be of interest to your loved one. An eldercare placement service can build a list of suitable facilities for you and your loved one to consider. Moving into assisted living can be hard and scary, so be sure to bring some favorite mementos from home and perhaps a favorite chair or a few other familiar pieces of furniture to make the new apartment seem a bit more like home.
About the Author:
Rue Nichols enjoys reading home health care blogs. For more details about assisted living facilities in San Diego or to know places to help with board and care Costa Mesa, please check out the Care Placement website now.
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