Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.

Find out how to help someone you love who is living with dementia.

Imagine how frightening it must be to live every day full of anxiety and uncertainty and not being able to remember the simple things about your life. It must be frustrating for caregivers as well who do not know how to help their relatives who are suffering from dementia. Rhett Wimmer gives us 3 helpful and practical tips on how to help someone you love who is living with dementia.

Documenting

It is helpful to document as much as you can about your loved one’s favorite things like foods, activities, and hobbies. Later, you can give their life a sense of meaning and purpose by continuing to practice these same things with them on visits in their home. For example, you can incorporate many of their senses by making their favorite cookie recipe, looking through old photo albums, or just sitting and listening to them tell their same stories over and over again.

Daily Routine

People with dementia need a sense of familiarity every day. You can do this for them by creating a daily routine. The idea is, “recreating old routines in order to help mom or dad maintain their highest level of independence and functioning as much as they can and for as long as they can”.

Capturing Memories

At the first signs of dementia, it is a good idea to begin to capture their personality and memories before your relationship changes. For example, you can take video of them talking about their favorite memories and interacting with you and your family. This will be great to have and to watch later when their dementia progresses and you have some really tough days with them.

It must be hard to watch someone you love suffer from dementia. Even though your relationship will change, you still want to make the most of the time you have left with them. You can still keep memories alive for you and for them by practicing old activities, daily routines, and looking through past pictures and videos.

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Key Points:

  • Documenting. It is helpful to document as much as you can about your loved one’s favorite things like foods, activities, and hobbies.
  • Daily routines. People with dementia need a sense of familiarity every day.
  • Capturing memories. At the first signs of dementia, it is a good idea to begin to capture their personality and memories before your relationship changes.

Quote This:

If you find yourself caring for a relative with dementia, the chances are you’ll need help. -Phyllis Logan

Talk About It
  1. What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
  2. Describe how your relationship has changed with your parents as you have become older. Describe how your relationship has changed with someone you love who has dementia.
  3. How can continuing to practice the same activities with someone who has dementia help give them a sense of meaning?
  4. Describe all the little things you know about your parents or grandparents.
  5. What is your daily routine? Describe how much you know about your parents or grandparents daily routine.
  6. How have you captured memories with your parents or grandparents?
  7. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.