How I Handeled People With Memeory Problems, AKA Dementia.

If you want to help someone reduce the risk of dementia, make sure they focus on a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity, a balance diet, and congnitive engagement.

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I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13

I remember working private duty patients for people who needed the exta care for their elderly loved ones who were having serious memory, and brain difficulties. AKA Dementia!

Working in Home Health and Private Duty for more than 11 years. The one thing that really peeped my intrest is when I met and had to sit with a person with dementia.

I was used to dealing with home health clients who were in their right state of mind. They could think for themselves, they know what they want and need. Easy Peasy! “When I met aunt Irene who had dementia this was scary.” In my opinion when you are dealing with someone with dementia, you are dealing with more than one person or persons.

I remember when I met aunt Irene she was very sweet and friendly, we were talking up a storm. I was understanding her and she was understanding me. Then all of a sudden aunt Irene was 10 years back in her time. She was still speaking in a normal tone. I said to myself ooKKaaayy!

How are you going to handle this person, this women, who believes that she is living decades behind and not where we are today. I didn’t say a word I just listened to her, then I decided to actually listen to what she was saying. I focused in on her conversation, and in all honesty where ever she went in her mind it was very interesting, and all right with me.

Dementia is primarily caused by damage to brain cells, which can disrupt a persons ability to communicate and function properly.

Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. People who have dementia, the symptoms interfere with their daily lives. Dementia isn’t one specific disease. Several diseases can cause dementia.

• Alzheimer’s disease (60–80% 0f cases)
• Vascular dementia (15–25% of cases)
• Lewy body dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Mixed dementia — A combination of two or more types of dementia.

Having educated myself on dementia and what causes it. It opened up my eyes and my heart to what people with dementia go through. It’s sad to see. Not having control over your thoughts can be very frustrating for the client.

That’s when I decided how I was going to handle my dementia clients. In my research on and offline I was told that people with dementia are always talking about things that never happened and they were encouraged to stop.

When ever they talked about something whether it happened or not, like I said in their mind it happened. I would talk with them as if it really happened. If it made them comfortable to talk about whatever they talked about, I talked right along with them. We used to have some very interesting converstions. If it made them happy, I was happy right along with them.

I would never try to dicourage them and say it never happened. You never know what that may trigger with a person with dementia. Keeping a dementia patient calm and comfortable is the most important thing. When you upset a person with dementia it can get frustrating and violent, and you don’t want that.

Keeping it 100, being that I am very opened minded person, we had some very good conversations even if it were not true, they laughed while telling their stories and I laughed and asked questions right along with them. It made my job a whole lot easier as they continued to be calm and at ease.

They may forget but never let them be forgotten!