Showing love and heart with dementia patients is a long and hard road for many families. It might be a spouse, parent, or grandparent that needs you now more than ever. You are probably wondering if you can you take care of him or her. Will it be possible to show the same amount of love and affection, when they no longer recognize you?
Those same questions had moved many family members to tears when thinking how dementia has destroyed a loved one. It is a condition that shows no favoritism. Dementia doesn’t care what color you are, or what side of the tracks you came from. It affects the rich and the poor, and you can show signs of dementia at a younger age, as well.
However, when seniors show signs of dementia, it’s heartbreaking. These are people who should be able to put their feet up and do anything they darn well please. After all, they’ve earned it!
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the United States spent up to $215 billion dollars on dementia care in 2010. That makes it more expensive than taking care of cancer or heart disease patients.
How to Show Love and Heart with Dementia Patients
Do you have what it takes to show love and heart with dementia patients? That could be a question you might be asking yourself if you have just discovered that your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
We have all heard the phrase “for better or worse.” For starters, families need to understand that their loved ones with dementia are not the same mentally as they used to be. You might not be able to go on long walks with them again, or enjoy a night at the movies. They will probably never bring you chocolate or flowers again. Yet, they are the same loving person you spent years with, they just probably don’t remember all of it.
• Accept Them – The first way to start to show and love and heart with dementia patients is to accept them as they are. They never chose to be that way, but there is nothing much they can do to change. You might think that it is not the same person sitting next you. However, it is the same person, but they have a different mental state.
• Live in the Present – You’ve got to learn to live in the present. Tomorrow, the future is not certain, so you’ve got to concentrate on today. You’ve got to wake up each day thinking what you can do for your loved one, and adjust your plans to how your loved one is feeling.
• Don’t Argue – Never argue with your loved one. Over time, it will be difficult for your loved one to think clearly or reason. Instead of arguing, just tell them that you love them and give them a hug. That’s because the next day, your loved one will probably have forgotten the entire incident ever took place.
• Show the Love of Music – It is well documented that music can brighten the soul of many dementia sufferers. Listening to favorite songs can recollect fond memories. More importantly, it can bring life back to your loved one.
• Support Dementia Organizations – Probably the best way to show love and heart with dementia is to help others find a cure. Scientists are working to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. You would be honoring your family member by volunteering for dementia organizations, or giving financial support. That way, you or your children, or grandchildren might not have to suffer the same illness.
Love and Heart with Dementia – Final Thoughts
The thought of dementia scares most people, and for a valid reason. Once people are diagnosed with dementia, they will continue to have various behavioral changes for the rest of their lives. Medicine can sometimes help, but it can never cure it. As a caregiver, you are always faced with the reality that the person you are caring for is never going to get better.
Finally, if you are caring for someone with dementia, you need to take your health into consideration, too. Many people, who care for someone with dementia, usually develop some kind of illness during that time. The majority of those illnesses are forms of depression, and they need to be checked by a doctor.
There aren’t many illnesses that touch so many families the way dementia does. Giving your love and heart with dementia residents is easy when you understand all they have given you during your lifetime. By being there with them every step of the way, you are demonstrating your love in more ways than you might have imagined.
