Patience with Dementia Patients (3 Helpful Tips)

Caring for someone with dementia is not a linear journey. There will be bad days and good days, hard days and easier days. As the disease progresses, dementia behaviors become more prominent; the patient will become more dependent on their caregiver. 

Whether you’re caring for a family member or client, remaining calm isn’t always easy. This increased caregiver reliance can lead to general frustration and caregiver burnout. 

To help maintain your patience with dementia patients, we have compiled helpful dementia caregiver tips for effective communication, creating a safe environment for the dementia patient, practicing self-care (yes, for you as the caregiver!), as well as daily tools to better your experience and your loved one’s too. 

What is Dementia? 

Dementia is an umbrella term for a large category of neurodegenerative diseases that are progressive and are most common in the older population. Each type of dementia affects a different area of the brain affecting the memory first. Symptoms may present differently depending on the type of memory disease or the syndrome the patient is diagnosed with. These dementia behaviors will also present differently based on the older person’s baseline health, too. 

The most well-known aging-related memory care disease is Alzheimer’s disease and it is one form of dementia.¹ Other common forms of memory loss diseases that fall under dementia are Vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and Lewy bodies.²

All of these neurodegenerative cognition diseases progress in three stages: early, middle and late; alternately, the stages are called mild, moderate and severe. 

Changes in cognition are usually the first symptoms of dementia noticed by a caregiver. As the disease advances through to late-stage dementia, physiological changes follow. 

Cognitive symptoms of dementia include³: 

• Memory loss
• Struggles to communicate 
• Forgetfulness of words
• Trouble making plans 
• Confusion
• Disorientation 

Psychological symptoms of dementia include⁴:

• Anxiety
• Depression 
• Personality changes 
• Agitation 
• Paranoia 
• Inappropriate behavior

Understanding the disease, changes in cognition and function, as well as care options can help you better provide help to someone living with dementia. 

The Importance of Empathy

Being a supportive caregiver also means showing empathy for your loved one. The memory care journey is both physically and emotionally taxing. Being able to relate to your dementia patient with empathy is one of the best caregiving techniques you can implement. 

Remember that your family member is still the person you love, even though they are living with memory loss and their dementia behaviors are leading to certain personality changes. 

Connecting with your loved one on this level shows that you support them and trust them. By establishing this understanding, you can better identify with their patient’s emotional experience and, therefore, provide better care and establish a stronger and more positive relationship. 

Communication Strategies

Communicating with an older person living with dementia can be frustrating at times. There are research-based communication strategies that are proven to be effective for both the caregiver and patient. 

As dementia behavior progresses, it will be necessary to adjust communication strategies to meet your loved one’s needs through each stage of the memory disease. 

Below is a list of communication strategies to enhance patient care, as well as your own experience. 

Speak Slowly and Clearly

As your loved one experiences memory loss and cognitive decline, word loss and confusion will become more common. 

Speaking slowly and having a face-to-face conversation will help the dementia patient to remain engaged. Speaking at a louder volume in direct language will also help your loved one understand what is being said. 

If your loved one becomes confused, try to remain empathetic. You can rephrase your comment, but only briefly, to avoid causing an upset. 

Never speak to your loved one as if they are a child. Always treat the patient with respect and honor. 

Non-Verbal Communication

For people living with memory loss, using hand gestures and facial expressions can be helpful communication tools. When cognition declines, verbal communication will become more affected. Your loved one may have trouble comprehending what is being said or they may struggle to remember their words or speak clearly. 

Hand gestures such as pointing can also be effective approaches for the caregiver. Using body language is sometimes easier for an older person with dementia to understand than simply repeating the phrase. 

Maintaining friendly facial expressions is also helpful for a patient living with dementia. Positive body language will help keep your loved one engaged and comfortable.  

Active Listening

When you respond to your loved one with head nods, smiles and even hand gestures, you show that you are being an active caregiver who is patient and is interested in their needs. 

Active listening is important when caring for someone with this degenerative disease. Nodding along with a story that your aging family member is telling will also show you are validating their feelings and concerns, which can be comforting for them. 
As speech becomes slower in the later stages of dementia, try your best to remain patient and not interrupt them. Let your aging loved one share their ideas without judgment. 

Creating a Supportive Environment

Establishing a supportive home environment is important to helping your loved one living with dementia feel comfortable and safe in their home place. This includes both physical changes they may see and others that can be implemented by a caregiver, such as help with daily routines and easy dressing options with adaptive clothing for the elderly. 

Consistency and Routine

Confusion plays a significant role in the life of a person with this neurodegenerative disease. As the caregiver, you can help your loved one maintain independence and confidence through consistency and routine in their daily lives. This can also help them avoid confusion and anxiety with daily tasks. 

As the caregiver, you will want to encourage your aging family member to do as much as they can on their own to maintain a sense of independence. There are ways you can organize their home, such as by placing the most-used kitchen items on the counter so they are easy to find. For instance, placing coffee beans and mug by the coffee maker will help create more independence for the patient.   

Another tool is to help your loved one divide up tasks into smaller parts. This makes a project or daily task (such as teeth brushing) feel less overwhelming. 

Using reminders such as sticky notes or reminders on their phone can also help the dementia patient complete daily tasks independently. 

Safe and Familiar Surroundings

As this brain disease progresses, you can reorganize your older parent’s house to create a safe home environment. Some priority areas include removing items on the floor that are easy to trip on. Installing handrails along the stairs and a seat in the shower can help prolong independence and safety by lowering fall risk. 

Because Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia can cause confusion, creating a quiet and somewhat private space can help your family member feel more secure during times of overwhelm. This can be done in a quiet corner of a room or a separate room, with their favorite blanket and other loved items to reduce stress and overwhelm. 

Decorating this quiet space and their home with nostalgic memorabilia, such as family photos and other cherished objects, can also help an aging patient with dementia to feel calm. 

Adaptive Clothing

Silverts’ adaptive clothing and footwear can help streamline daily routines for those who are still dressing themselves and also for caregivers to dress their clients in adaptive clothing. 

Dressing someone with dementia can be challenging, so offer your loved one adaptive Alzheimer’s clothing such as anti-strip clothing designed to support independence through self-dressing. As the disease progresses, caregiver-assisted clothing options can help your loved one remain comfortable and stylish. Adaptive footwear can also extend independence even as mobility becomes more difficult. 

When offering help, it is best to take direction from the person receiving care. As a caregiver, you want to extend your loved one’s feeling of independence by concentrating on what they are able to do on their own or with minimal help. Try to picture yourself receiving care and follow the treatment you would want. 

Self-Care for Caregivers

A caregiver’s main role is looking after a loved one and ensuring their well-being. But who looks after the caregiver? 

Just as the pilot instructs parents to put on their oxygen masks first before helping their child, the same strategy applies to caregiving. To be the best caregiver you can be, you have to practice self-love and self-care to avoid burnout, stress and overwhelm. 

Pay attention to how you are feeling physically and emotionally. If you notice changes in your regular sleep patterns, energy levels and patience, it may be time for additional self-care. 

Below are techniques to help manage caregiver stress and avoid burnout.

Taking Breaks and Seeking Support

As the saying goes, it takes a village. This is true for a caregiver’s role, as well. 

Depending on your family members’ and friends’ availability, you may be able to share some of the necessary caregiving roles. If someone in your close circle isn’t available to help care for the dementia patient, it may be necessary to look for additional outside help such as hiring professional caregivers, to lessen your daily responsibilities. 

When you are in your caregiver role, it’s also important to watch the time and ensure adequate self-care by taking breaks for meals, which can come just after you have helped with your loved one’s mealtime. 

This can also be a good time to schedule some rest breaks for yourself. Remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup and it is OK to ask for help. 

3 Practical Tips for Maintaining Patience

Maintaining your patience with a dementia patient is critical for everyone’s well-being. Various relaxation techniques, expectation setting and positive reinforcement activities can help a caregiver remain calm and patient while caring for a dementia patient.  

Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Breathing exercises aren’t just for yoga class. Mindful breathing exercises and meditation have been scientifically proven to calm the nervous system. 

Practicing simple breathing exercises throughout the day — even through one long inhale matched by one long exhale — can be hugely beneficial to our internal anxiety. When our system feels calmer, we are better able to access our nurturing side and provide better care to our loved one. 

Positive Reinforcement

Maintaining a positive and calm approach helps the caregiver feel better overall, as well as the dementia patient. 

Positive body language and verbal clues with praise — such as positive reinforcement when your aging client completes a task — can also help create a positive environment, whether in memory care or home care. This positive atmosphere can greatly impact the dementia patient in a wonderfully supportive way. 

Managing Expectations

It is important to continually remind yourself of the level of care your loved one needs. If your aging parent is no longer able to tie their shoes due to memory loss, it is unfair to ask them to complete the task on their own. This means you may need to set aside a few extra minutes to help with shoe tying before heading out. It also means you won’t be rushing at the last minute to stop and help put shoes on because you set expectations and prepared for the day in advance. 

Likewise, it’s also necessary to remind your patient of what they are expected to do or not do. Placing easy-to-read instructions by the coffee maker to help them independently prepare coffee or staging signs around the home for easier direction can help everyone know what to expect and where to go. 

Of course, with any reduced cognition, things do not always go as expected. When you face a setback or struggle with the lack of progress you and your loved one are making, try to remain empathetic. It is ok if you need to take a few minutes to find your breath and then return to a calmer state. 

Silverts Can Be Your Support System

Updating your loved one’s wardrobe to meet their mobility needs is a helpful way to support both the patient and caregiver. 

Silverts has a dedicated dementia and Alzheimer’s clothing line that can help limit dressing time as well as discomfort or dressing challenges. 

If you know caregivers who are learning how to care for a parent with dementia at home or are supporting people needing memory care, share this blog and help them remain patient with their dementia patients. 

For more, visit www.Silverts.com.

Sources

1. World Health Organization. “Dementia.” March 15, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia. Accessed on August 16, 2024. ↩︎
2. World Health Organization. “Dementia.” March 15, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia. Accessed on August 16, 2024. ↩︎
3. World Health Organization. “Dementia.” March 15, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia. Accessed on August 16, 2024. ↩︎
4. Cerejeira J, Lagarto L, Mukaetova-Ladinska EB. “Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.” Front Neurol. May 7, 2012. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3345875/. Accessed on August 16, 2024. ↩︎