How Can We, As a Society, Help Seniors with Dementia

Individuals and communities can help people with dementia disease. Creating a dementia-friendly society takes collaboration, time, and investment. It pertains to health services, law enforcement, social services, local government, volunteer groups, and charities. It also implicates an individual’s hearing, expressing respect, and extending help. Even tiny steps, like training store workers to be more tolerant or drivers to acknowledge patients, can create a difference. Self and public educations are essential for spreading adequate awareness of dementia symptoms and curtailing the stigma of this disorder.

Long-Term Care

People with dementia require monitoring and dementia treatment in an establishment. Possible alternatives accommodate:

Daycare for adults
Boarding home
Nursing home
In-home care

Several organisations are accessible to assist you in caring for individuals with dementia. These involve:

Adult protection services
Community help
Local government or state government ageing departments
Visiting nurses and attendants
Volunteer aids

In a few communities, support groups for treatment for dementia may be accessible. Family counselling may help families endure home supervision. Eventually, folks with later dementia stages might require 24-hour assistance and monitoring to procure a safe setting, control agitated or aggressive behaviour, and meet their requirements. When towns and cities transform into friendly societies, people with dementia can easily become a part of them without hesitation.

Supplementally, you can make use of apps like Emoha – Support for Seniors, wherein they get access to a safer, healthier, active and more engaged life, all from the comfort of their home. Get 24/7 emergency support (medical & non-medical), a daily convenience help desk, access to 500+ doctors (online & offline), one-tap access to all medical documents, special discounts on medicines, and much more. With the Emoha app, you can enjoy a hassle-free life that too, while engaging with a community of 10,000+ like-minded seniors. Download from Google Play Store and IOS App Store.

How Can We Create a Difference with Dementia-Friendly Communities?

It is an increasing trend that dementia patients are trapped at home. Research says that dementia patients don’t leave their residence more than one time every week, and many leave home just once every month.

Several individuals believe people with dementia are a burden, making the patients more dependent on the community, and their life further suffers. Along with dementia, they also start facing other illnesses and must be admitted to facilities.

There are nearly thirty million dementia sufferers across the globe, and this number is expected to be doubled in two decades. With a surge of different types of dementia and cases, it is essential that society understands this and intervenes at the earliest.

How Can People in a Community Become Dementia-friendly?

We can start by getting in touch with the health care provider and taking matters into our own hands at a personal level for dementia cure

Help dementia sufferers stay calm and oriented
Make grooming and dressing easier
Chat with the individual
Support in memory failure issues
Manage sleep and behaviour issues
Facilitate enjoyable and stimulating activities

Tips for the Community to Help Dementia Patients

People and objects that individuals with dementia are familiar with can prove beneficial.
At night, the lights can be left on
List everyday activities, a routine schedule, notes, and reminders.
Schedule simple daily activities.
Speak to them about current affairs and events.
Going for a walk with them.
Also, soothing music can help with restlessness, cure insomnia, and ease anxiety and behavioural issues.
Take them for regular ear and eye check-ups. Glasses, hearing aids, or even surgery might be required if there is a problem.
Driving is hazardous for people with dementia. They need to give driving tests from time to time. After a point, it becomes impossible for them to continue driving as the laws are pretty stringent for drivers with dementia. It may be challenging to explain this to them. However, family, friends, and the health care provider can make them understand the criticality of continuing to drive.
Supervise their meals as they may forget to drink and eat. Moreover, wandering and unrest can make them lose excessive calories. They may even get dehydrated. You can adjust the calorie intake accordingly.

Things to Discuss with Your Health Care Provider

How can any choking risks be avoided, and what needs to be done when that happens?
How can safety at home be enhanced for the patient?
How can they be safe from falling?
How can bathroom trips be made safer?

Listed here are four essential aspects needed to assist the supporting community:

Sufferers – People living with dementia should be centred and included.
Communities – Society should be sensitive toward people with dementia. A suitable social and physical setting should be available for the sufferers.
Organisations – Organisations and businesses should have a dementia-friendly approach. Their strategies can make their life easier, especially in the healthcare environment.
Partnerships – Collective action and cross-sectoral backing are essential for bringing in a change.

Conclusion

The steps listed in the article can support community efforts and help people suffering from dementia feel included. These communities help through their actions and words to support the needs of dementia patients. They respect, understand, and support people with dementia. As a result, they feel a part of society and display their unique skills and talents. Their support is therapeutic and can help the sufferers’ overall health and make them feel welcomed. It can help prevent further health issues from culminating and dependence on long-term assistance.

FAQ

What are the 7 symptoms of dementia?

Dementia symptoms differ depending on the area of the brain that is weakened, but common indications and symptoms involve

Cognitive transitions
Memory loss that is usually caught by somebody else
Trouble in communicating or expressing in words
Concern with spatial and visual abilities, like getting lost, especially while driving
Difficulty in problem solving or reasoning
Facing challenges handling complex assignments
Issues with organising and planning

What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s?

Dementia tends to be a general phrase; Alzheimer’s is a distinct brain disorder.

Does dementia run in families?

The disease is not passed to the children. In rarer kinds of dementia, though, there might be a strong genetic link. However, these are just a tiny proportion of the widespread dementia cases.

What is Sundowning behaviour?

The phrase “sundowning” pertains to confusion transpiring in the afternoon and lasts until night. It can result in different modes, such as aggression, disorder, anxiety, and ignoring guidance. Sundowning may also oversee wondering or pacing; it is not a disease.

What are signs that dementia is getting worse?

Poor judgement or increasing confusion
Memory loss
Requiring assistance with chores, such as dressing, bathing, grooming, etc.
Considerable behaviour and personality changes

Do people with dementia sleep a lot?

It is common for people with dementia, primarily in the delayed phases, to consume more duration sleeping, both night and day. This can periodically be discomforting for the individual’s friends and family as they might think something is wrong.

How do you make a dementia patient happy?

Physical activity, exercise, reminiscing about their past, and exploring natural reading are some activities that make dementia patients happy.

Why do dementia patients get mean?

People with dementia who are aggressive and mean most likely feel fear, embarrassment, and anger. Because they are asked to employ techniques, they don’t have anymore. When they languish, they might lash out.

What is the best music for dementia patients?

Stimulating salsa, big band, and swing music can provoke movement and dance in dementia patients. It provides much-wanted physical exercise, excitement, and entertainment. Use soothing melodies to reduce rage. Seniors experiencing uproar, a normal dementia behaviour, may find great solace in music.