The Alzheimer’s Show has produced a range of digital guides to help family carers and those affected by dementia, covering many common aspects of living with the disease. Make sure you have signed up for The Alzheimer’s Show’s newsletter in order to keep receiving the guides. Previous guides have covered the following key topics:
Coping with Challenging Behaviour
Top three tips from this guide:
- Allow the person some independence – Make sure you allow the person to do certain things for themselves if possible and reduce the risk of destroying their confidence by doing everything for them.
- Try to avoid Sundowning – This is a term used to describe sudden mood changes that can occur late afternoon or early evening in a person with dementia by finding activities to distract the person. Or if they are bored, take them for a walk to work off excess energy.
- Focus on what’s important – A person with dementia may become angry when you tell them it’s time to have a wash or get dressed or get up. If they don’t want to do something right away, ask yourself, how important it is for them to complete the task at that moment?
Choosing a good care home
Top three tips from this guide:
- Get the person assessed – If the person needs to go into a care home, arrange for them to be assessed by the local authority as they have to agree that the person needs to go into a care home. Contact your local authority for more information.
- Obtain financial support where possible – The person may be eligible for Attendance Allowance and NHS Continuing Healthcare that will help fund the cost of care. You can find out more about financial support that may be available and how to apply for it at The Alzheimer’s Show on 10-11 June.
- Do your research now – Assessments can take time to arrange, so don’t leave it until the last minute. If you sense that the person with dementia can’t be alone for much longer, start the process of looking into suitable care homes now.
Keeping a person with dementia safe at home
Top three tips from this guide:
- Get an assessment of the person’s home – Contact social services or your local Alzheimer’s Society office if you have one, to arrange for an occupational therapist to come in to do an assessment and recommend changes or adaptations to the person’s home.
- Remove obstacles – Check the house for potential obstacles that may increase the risk of a fall. Get rid of loose rugs and frayed carpets and move small items of furniture.
- Look into a pendant alarm – This is a device that can be worn around the person’s neck or as a bracelet that enables them to call for help in an emergency or if they have a fall. They can press a button on the pendant and call for help 24 hours a day.
20 things every dementia carer should know
Top three tips from this guide:
- Anger could mean pain – If a person is in pain, they may exhibit signs of challenging behaviour so it’s important to get to the root cause of the problem and arrange for them to see their GP.
- Get the person’s affairs in order – A person with dementia should make a Lasting Power of Attorney as soon as they have been diagnosed with dementia, as it’s hugely important to get their affairs in order while they still have capacity.
- Don’t argue – Never contradict a person with dementia, as this is likely to make them angry or frustrated. Remember that the person has to work much harder than you to process information, follow a conversation and formulate a response to a comment you’ve made.