What Seniors’ Choice Care Givers Are Doing in the Twin Cities You Can Do Wherever You are
The Seniors’ Choice at Home employees who provide senior care for our clients are especially skilled in working with those who have dementias like Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the simple suggestions they know about and use with their clients can be easily adapted to the care families provide their loved ones. Below you’ll find a few simple suggestions.
Language Problems
* Never stop trying to communicate with the person with memory loss. Even when they have increasing difficulty talking to you, you can still speak simply to them or try singing simply song.
* Never underestimate what people with dementia understand. Always talk to them in a respectful way.
* Don’t say anything in their presence that you wouldn’t want them to hear and understand.
Lack of Concentration
* Gently get the person’s attention before speaking to him or her.
* Remove distractions–ask permission and turn off the TV, for example.
* Recognize the importance of one-to-tone interactions.
Loss of Visuo-spatial Skills
* Use landmarks for way-finding (for example, a picture on the wall by the bathroom.)
* Be aware of the person’s fears and discomfort.
* Pay attention to the safety of the environment–remove clutter, add lighting, try to avoid redecoration and remodeling while caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Remember that familiarity and routines are very important as one’s cognitive abilities decrease.
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