Your elderly family member may have dementia, but she does still need your support to keep her emotionally healthy. Some of these tips can help to ensure that your elderly family member continues to have good mental health, even if her cognitive health is failing.
Caregiver Boca Raton FL – What Does Your Senior Need Most from You Emotionally if She Has Dementia?To Know That She Still Matters
Your senior may need a lot more reassurance from you as her cognitive health declines. Even if she was a self-confident person before the dementia took hold, that can change very quickly. She needs to know from you that you still find her important and valuable and that her feelings and her presence matter.
To Have Engaging Activities Planned
If your elderly family member isn’t engaging her brain, it’s very easy for her to become depressed and even to withdraw from everything around her. That’s a fast way to lose your senior to her illness. Instead, try finding activities that she enjoys and that keep her brain active and engaged. Even if she’s losing some of her memories, this can help her to continue to try to interact with the world around her.
To Remain as Independent as Possible for as Long as Possible
Independence is always going to be important to your senior, even if she’s experiencing cognitive decline. It might become even more important to her, even. Your senior may know on some level that she’s lost some abilities, but she also knows that she hasn’t lost all of them. Helping her to continue to do what she can for as long as she can is vital for her.
To Be Able to Spend Time with People She Loves
Even when your senior’s memories are jumbled together, that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t experience love and warm feelings for the people that she loves. She may mix up names or need introductions to people she knows well, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to spend time around those same people. Do what you can to encourage visitors to stop by when they can and when she’s up for it.
It’s not easy to keep doing all of this for your senior all the time. As her caregiver, you have to remember to take care of yourself, too. Take respite time when you’re able and remember to listen to what you need, too, because you also matter and you need to be able to keep plugging away.
If you or a family member are in need of hiring Caregiver Services in Boca Raton FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770. Providing service in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Lighthouse Point, and Wilton Manors.
- How Can Home Health Care Help Seniors Manage Asthma? - April 23, 2024
- Client Advocacy Services Help with Senior Care & Family Dynamics - April 15, 2024
- What Benefits Does Skilled Nursing Offer? - April 8, 2024
