Hence, you must prepare yourself for the challenges that lie ahead. Whether you’re a family member or a professional caregiver, you must keep in mind that an elderly with dementia needs patience. It is difficult for someone with dementia to think, remember, and communicate with others. They may even forget to care for themselves. Elderly folks suffering from dementia can be moody and cranky. In the worst-cases, it can even change the personality of your once sweet senior. How can you handle this situation when you’re not a trained medical professional?

Remember, the right attitude is critical for successful care. Learning more about the diagnosis can help you understand your elderly loved one. It also allows you to set realistic expectations and retain control as the caregiver. When you know what pitfalls and challenges to expect, you can plan ahead and take the sting out of your new responsibilities. Furthermore, the right mind frame assures you to retain a more positive attitude despite this harsh prognosis. Here are some vital things you must consider when caring for an elderly loved one with dementia.

Do Work On Communication Skills to Foster Better Interactions

Keep in mind, communicating with a person with dementia takes effort. But it is something that you can readily learn. With proper communication, you can make caregiving less stressful. Furthermore, you can anticipate a better relationship. Expressing yourself properly will help manage any difficult behavior or attitudes that you may encounter. Try the following techniques:

1. Establish a positive mood

More than words, your body language can convey your inner thoughts and feelings. Hence, strive hard to establish a positive mood to ensure a good interaction. Your tone of voice and facial expressions must always be pleasant, cordial, and respectful.

2. Work on getting the right attention

Before you speak, make sure you have the person’s undivided attention. Turn off all distractions like the TV, radio, or computer. Address the person by name and remind them of your relationship. Maintain eye contact to get them to concentrate on your words.

3. Give a clear, succinct message

Remember to speak slowly and use simple words. Be mindful of your tone because it can hurt their feelings. If your elderly loved one doesn’t understand, patiently repeat or rephrase your words. Break everything down into a series of manageable instructions.

4. Listen not only with your ears

When dealing with dementia, you must be patient in waiting for a reply. Sometimes, you must use more than your ears to listen. Look at body cues and overall demeanor. Help supply words when they are grappling for it. Listen with your heart to comprehend their emotions.

5. Respond with love

An elderly loved one with dementia feels insecure. They often feel anxious, confused, and scared. Often, they can mix up facts and remember the wrong things. As such, you need to be patient in explaining. Speak in a soothing tone and use gentle words. Hold their hand, touch them, and pat their back. Offering kindness and love will go a long way.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help and Seek Support

Whether you need to take care of someone in your family or doing so as your profession, never be afraid to seek a helping hand and ask for support. Support groups and organizations can help family members and professionals tremendously. With your group, you can vent your frustrations without any judgment. Since everyone is going through the same thing, you can share coping tips and tricks with one another. A group is a good place to find resources about dementia. Other pro caregivers can also give you their professional insight to apply in caring for your elderly loved one.

Furthermore, professionals should never feel ashamed to ask a colleague for support. Everyone in the healthcare profession understands that caring for someone with dementia is difficult. Hence, there will be moments that even professionals need a friendly ear. Someone to talk to can help unburden you from the stress you feel.

Do Exhibit Compassion and Empathy

Quality care always springs from a compassionate heart that empathizes with the plight of a sick person. This mantra holds true for every human relationship, but it becomes even more important for those who care for people with dementia. To illustrate, a person with dementia can get confused about the time of day, where they live, and who their family members are. This situation is truly heartbreaking!

Thus, it would help to put yourself in the person’s shoes. How would you want to be treated if you ever find yourself not knowing who you are and feeling disoriented about your new assisted-living community? Actively empathizing with the senior in your care can help you become more conscientious of your actions. After all, everyone will eventually enter the twilight of their years. When you experience this season of life, you certainly want everyone to care for and respect you, even if you suffer from dementia.

Don’t Believe the Myth that Dementia is Only Memory Loss

It is an understatement to say that dementia is merely memory loss. However, memory loss is one of the symptoms of dementia. Some dementia cases, such as Pick’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, exhibit personality changes. Remember, the brain has different lobes, so the symptoms that manifest can vary depending on the location affected by the disease.

Noteworthy, memory loss is often the most obvious symptom that exhibits the person is suffering a neurological decline. Sadly, this can lead to many other issues, such as combative behavior and terrible mood swings. To illustrate, it is highly likely that a lady-like grandma will start cussing like a veteran sailor in rough seas. It is normal for dementia patients to experience delusions and even hallucinations. In some cases, an elderly person can even begin to think that his family members plot something evil against him.

In the advanced stage of most kinds of dementia, the patient may be non-functioning. As a result, you will find them unable to dress themselves, brush their teeth, or even eat. Incontinence may also be a problem. When the self-care abilities are gone, you may need a permanent caregiver all the time or consider seeking a dementia facility for help. Dementia patients who lose their ability to communicate and identify people or things can end up getting lost. It is truly heart-wrenching to see someone who was once so lively become unresponsive. Thus, seeking professional help is crucial when they can no longer live independently.

Do Set Realistic Expectations

Though it is vital to stay positive, you must also be realistic about the disease. Though it may sound harsh, the sad reality is that dementia is often an irreversible and progressive disorder. In fact, prepare for things to get worse over time. There is no known cure for this disease, so manage your expectations and plan accordingly. What you can do is to ensure that the person in your care is always comfortable and safe. You can try the following:

• GPS tracking apps
• Digital clocks with reminders
• Communication aids
• Home monitoring devices
• Security cameras
• Home care bots
• Medication management tools

Remember, most professionals share that dementia patients often have good days and bad days. For best results, always try to prolong the good days by ensuring your elderly loved one is not agitated or stressed. Providing a relaxed environment without excessive stimuli can help them stay calm. Feeding them a healthy diet that maintains their blood pressure and sugar levels will ensure better days ahead.

Don’t Forcefully Correct or Be Mean About Troublesome Behavior

Personality and behavioral changes are the biggest challenges when caring for a loved one with dementia. Most become irritable when they cannot remember things or do what they like. Some become combative when you restrict their movements for their own safety. Sadly, they no longer have the mental faculties to process that what you are doing is for their own good.

In cases like this, you must once again be patient, compassionate, and understanding. Don’t take things personally and strive to maintain a good attitude. To help you out, consider the following:

1. Change how you respond

Remember, you cannot correct nor change a person with dementia. It is an incurable disease. When you attempt to modify their behavior and attitude, you will most likely fail. Most of all, they will resist. Hence, it is better to change how you respond because you still have control over your behavior and reasoning.

2. Check with the primary care provider

Sometimes, when the behavior becomes too much, you need to consult their doctor. It could be an underlying medical issue. Your elderly loved one could be in pain. It could also be a side effect of a medicine. Seek the doctor’s advice to help you sort things out.

3. Consider the various triggers

Often, how a person with dementia reacts is based on a trigger. Sometimes, it could be something as simple as the weather. It could also be what they ate that day or the noise they heard that got them overstimulated. Be more observant in assessing their disruptive patterns. Through proper evaluation, you can find triggers and avoid them.

4. Understand the reason behind it

Since people with dementia cannot eloquently express what they want or need, they can act out. Sometimes, this manifests through erratic behavior, such as throwing out all the clothes from the closet. When this happens, understand the reason behind the behavior. What could your elderly loved one be trying to do or express? Try the best you can to accommodate them.

Do Everything to Prevent Wandering and Avoid Getting Lost

It is often common for people with dementia to wander around. They walk aimlessly even if they have no clue how to return. This could be a potential and serious problem that you have to consider. With poor memory, they can get lost permanently. To help you manage this behavior, consider the following:

• Include regular exercise to prevent restlessness and boredom.
• Consider installing smart locks that they cannot open but are accessible to others.
• Put a barrier on the main entryway, like a curtain to camouflage the door.
• Add child-lock covers on doorknobs to prevent accidents.
• Install security cameras to keep watch over your elderly loved ones.
• Sew name, contact number, and address labels on clothes.
• Inform neighbors about this problem so they can help keep watch.

Do Make Concrete Plans for the Future

When caring for someone with dementia, change is an inevitable part of the course. Remember this detail, so you won’t get used to a routine or status quo. As this disease is progressive, you must prepare for when you need to bring your loved one to a professional memory care facility with a residential option. As such, you need to check your finances and scout your area for a good nursing home. You must face the fact that care needs will increase as your elderly family member’s condition deteriorates. Thus, you must eventually transition your loved one into a reputable adult-living community.

If you need help, you can get in touch with us at Lakeside Manor. Our team understands that it is difficult to pick a care facility for your loved one. After all, you want quality care you can trust, as well as a good team that your beloved family member is comfortable with. Don’t hesitate to call and ask us any questions if you need additional information. We also invite you to tour our community to see how we spend our days with our lovely seniors.

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Before diving into how eating certain types of food can help in the fight against dementia, it’s worth taking the time to understand the condition first.

Per the World Health Organization, dementia is a chronic and/or progressive syndrome that can harm an affected individual’s cognitive abilities. A person’s cognitive abilities deteriorate with age, but those with dementia are affected more.

Examples of cognitive abilities that may be affected by dementia include a person’s comprehension, orientation, and memory.

Several diseases can cause dementia. Among the most notable examples are Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.

If some of the blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to your brain are damaged, the odds of you developing dementia also go up. Traumatic brain injuries can similarly contribute to the eventual development of dementia.

Basically, anything that leads to brain cells being lost or damaged can play a role in the eventual emergence of dementia in an individual.

How Your Diet Can Affect the Fight against Dementia

There are several risk factors to consider when it comes to dementia, and while some of them are out of your control, your diet is certainly something you can exercise power over.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people who have an unhealthy diet are more likely to develop dementia compared to individuals who consume plenty of nutritional foods. We’ll get into what those specific food types are in a bit.

Furthermore, there are certain benefits you can gain from eating specific items that are also useful in combating dementia.

To be clear, you will need to adopt a variety of lifestyle changes if you want to minimize your chances of developing dementia. Still, you need to start somewhere, and changing your diet will help.

A Diet Plan That Helps

Back in 2015, researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that a specific diet plan could reduce a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease by around 53 percent. Even those who didn’t stick to the diet plan completely saw their risk for developing the disease drop by around 33 percent.

So, what is this diet plan?

It’s known as the MIND Diet, and it brings together elements of the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet. MIND itself stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, per this article from CBS News.

Whole Grains

The MIND Diet consists of several food types, but there is one offering that you must have in your daily meal plans if you want to fare better against dementia.

That food type in question is none other than whole grain. The diet recommends that people get at least three servings of whole grains per day.

Most people eat at least some type of grain regularly. The grain food group consists of rice, pasta, bread, crackers, and cereals.

There are different benefits people get from eating grains.

For starters, grains provide us with a boost of energy. They also contain nutrients such as iron and niacin. It also helps that grains are affordable yet filling, making them ideal to put on your plate if you’re looking to save money.

However, not all grains that you see in the supermarket are equal in terms of nutrient content.

The thing about white rice, white bread, and any other type of refined grain is that they lack helpful nutrients. Refined grains have their outer layers removed as they are processed. You don’t want to see those outer layers removed because they contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and even protein.

Intact grains also fill you up longer while simultaneously keeping your digestive system in great condition. To think that you’re losing so much because of the refinement process is a real shame, and why you should seek out whole grains more.

Now that you understand the benefits of eating whole grains, it’s up to you to stock up on them.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, you can find whole grains faster by looking for the official stamp from the Whole Grains Council or by looking for items labeled as “100 percent whole grain.” If you see the words “enriched” or “refined” on the label of a bag of rice or a box of cereal, you may want to purchase something else.

Those with relatives in assisted living facilities should also check if their loved ones are getting a steady supply of whole grains from their caregivers.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Aside from the whole grains, green leafy vegetables are the next most important elements of the MIND Diet.

These vegetables are high in vitamin content. You’re getting vitamins A, C, and K in abundance if you opt to consume green leafy vegetables regularly. Vitamin A can provide a boost to your immune system, vitamin C excels at repairing body tissues, while vitamin K is good for promoting proper blood clotting.

On top of the vitamins you’re getting from green leafy vegetables, these food items feature a large number of antioxidants. These antioxidants are important because they target free radicals that can damage your body.

Examples of green leafy vegetables you should eat more of are beet greens, microgreens, and spinach. Make it a point to eat green leafy vegetables at least twice a week but eating them more often would be preferable.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are not the only plants that should figure more prominently into your diet. Cruciferous vegetables also boast a healthy complement of nutrients that can help you ward off dementia.

Similar to green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables feature large amounts of antioxidants and vitamin K.

Cruciferous vegetables you should eat more of include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, and turnips.

The great thing about cruciferous vegetables is that you can prepare them in a variety of ways. They can be stir-fried, steamed, and even pureed in the case of cauliflower. Integrating them into your diet should be easier because of their versatility.

Fish

You will need some protein in your diet to strengthen your muscles and speed up the repair of any damaged tissues. Consuming any kind of protein is not a good idea, however. The sources of protein that end up on your plate must be healthy.

With that in mind, you should make it a point to shop for fish. Specific types of fish you want to put on your plate include salmon and tuna. Apart from being great sources of healthy protein, these fish offer omega 3 fatty acids that are great for your brain.

If you want to avoid adding unnecessary ingredients to your diet, you can opt to steam your fish lightly seasoned or perhaps eat it raw as sashimi.

Lean Poultry

Fish does not need to be your lone source of healthy protein. You can also get that important nutrient from lean meats. Lean poultry cuts are especially great additions to your brain-friendly diet.

Chicken and turkey are good options to consider if you need more protein in your diet but be sure that you stick to the lean parts of the bird. You’re specifically looking for chicken and turkey breasts as they yield plenty of meat but are skimpy on the fat.

You can cook chicken and turkey in different ways but roasting them with some herbs and spices is hard to top if you want something flavorful but not fatty.

Beans

If you’ve been a big meat-eater all your life, suddenly phasing pork and beef out of your diet is not going to be easy. Unfortunately, you cannot continue to eat those foods regularly if you want to give yourself the best chance of staving off dementia.

We’re not saying that beans will fill the void in your diet left behind by red meat, but what they can do is deliver that deep, earthy flavor that you cannot get from fish and poultry. Beans also happen to be rich in fiber and protein, so they are great for you from a nutritional standpoint.

Stewing or baking beans allows their flavor to develop better, but you can also puree them to create a dip. Toast some wedges of whole grain bread to get that dip to create a wholesome snack you can enjoy regularly.

Nuts

If you’re still looking for more sources of healthy protein, then you may want to look at your supermarket’s selection of nuts. Nuts can serve as reliable sources of fiber, healthy fat, and protein. You can also get antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids.

Be careful when you are purchasing nuts from the grocery. Some of the items sold have salt, thus making them unhealthy.

Look for unsalted nuts when you are shopping. You should also try to toast the nuts yourself so that you can control the amount of oil used.

Once you’ve toasted the nuts and allowed them to cool down, you can put them inside a food processor and transform them into a light and delicious nut butter that pairs well with whole grain bread.

Berries

Thus far, you may have noticed that the list of foods that fight dementia is lacking in the sweet department. Every now and then, you’re going to get a craving for something sweet, and it would be nice if you could indulge that without straying from your new and improved diet plan.

The good news for you is that berries are in the MIND Diet.

Blueberries are one of the best foods when it comes to protecting your brain thanks to their content.

If you’re not a huge fan of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries can also be good additions to your diet.

Berries are great for baking. You can add them to muffins, pies, or tarts.

For those who are not proficient at baking, you can cook berries down to use as a sauce or compote. If you want to keep things simple, you can place some berries in a blender along with other ingredients to whip up smoothies.

Dark Chocolate

For some people, their quality of life drops without chocolate. It’s a favorite dessert food for many, and some folks get addicted to it.

You’ve probably guessed this already, but many of the chocolate bars sold at the supermarket are not healthy. Do note, however, that not all forms of chocolate are bad for you.

If you cannot resist the siren call of chocolate, you can satisfy that craving by eating dark chocolate. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, dark chocolate contains flavanols that can promote better blood flow to your body.

As long as you moderate your consumption of dark chocolate, adding it to your diet should not be a problem. You can use dark chocolate for baking cakes and cookies, or you can even dip berries into it to create a brain-friendly sweet treat.

On cold days, nothing beats brewing up a nice pitcher of warm chocolate.

Wine

Last up in this article featuring foods that fight against dementia is none other than the favorite alcoholic beverage known as wine. The fact that wine is considered good for the brain should be a welcome revelation to many people all over the world.

Wine is particularly helpful because it can keep your cognitive abilities sharp.

Take care not to go overboard with your consumption of wine, however. One glass of wine per day is the recommended amount in the MIND Diet.

Dementia can be a devastating condition that completely changes a loved one. While there is no way to cure dementia today, we can keep it at bay by developing healthy habits. Consuming more of the items featured in this article will help you accomplish that.

You can also better manage your loved one’s dementia by seeking help from an assisted living facility. Get in touch with Lakeside Manor today to secure great care for your loved one.

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Nine Top Risk Factors for Dementia

Age 

Age is the strongest risk factor for dementia. Although it is possible to develop dementia at a younger age, the vast majority of cases occur in individuals aged 65 or over. In fact, once you pass the age of 65, your risk of dementia doubles roughly every five years. While there is nothing you can do to stop the ageing process, you can focus on ageing well to help stave off physical and cognitive decline. 

Family History and Genetics 

Scientists have discovered numerous genes that play a role in whether or not a person will ultimately develop dementia or Alzheimer’s. Some of these genes are considered risk genes, meaning they increase the likelihood of developing the condition while not directly causing it. There are also a few deterministic genes that guarantee a person will develop dementia at some point in their lives. If you have others in your family with the disease, your risk is greatly increased as well, multiplying for each additional family member with the condition. 

Frequent Head Injuries 

Researchers have found a strong link between head injuries and cognitive decline. The risk is increased even more when head injuries occur frequently and when the person loses consciousness. The best way to minimize your risk in this area is to employ basic safety practices, like always wearing a helmet when riding a bike and a seat belt when driving. If you have experienced head trauma in the past, all hope is not lost. Do your best to prevent it from happening again in the future, though. 

Cardiovascular Conditions 

There are a variety of cardiovascular conditions that can increase your risk of developing dementia later on in life. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity all boost your risk. To help combat this risk, do your part to stay healthy by reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet, and practice physical fitness on a regular basis. Your doctor can advise you on the best diet and exercise choices to meet your needs and help prevent these common conditions. 

Sedentary Lifestyle 

In addition to increasing your risk of developing the cardiovascular conditions listed in the previous section, leading a sedentary lifestyle also increases your risk of dementia. While the specific reasons behind this are not entirely clear, researchers believe that it is due to the changes physical exercise creates in your brain. A lack of physical activity reduces blood flow to your brain, which can lead to damage over time. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day, even if it is just a leisurely stroll. 

Smoking 

Smoking has major effects on your entire body, not just your lungs. Smoking also affects your heart, brain and entire vascular system. Not only that, but it also increases your risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. The combination of all of these effects significantly increases your risk of dementia. It is never too late to quit smoking. When you quit, the positive effects on your body begin almost immediately and continue to increase over time, so get the help you need to quit right away. 

Lack of Cognitive Stimulation 

Your brain needs ongoing stimulation to stay sharp. If your lifestyle doesn’t provide much in the way of mental stimulation, you’ll need to go out of your way to get it for yourself. This is common among retirees who no longer have their jobs to keep their minds active. Activities like crossword puzzles and other word games can help stave off cognitive decline. Try to remain socially active as well; interacting with others helps to keep your mind active. Playing games, either in person or online, can help too. Basically, anything you can do to keep your brain as active as possible will help. 

Alcohol Abuse 

Consuming too much alcohol on a regular basis can have far-reaching effects, not just on your body, but on your brain as well. Frequent drinking can lead to short-term and long-term memory loss, as well as difficulty forming new memories. Excessive alcohol consumption over a period of many years can also increase a person’s risk of Korsakoff syndrome, an extreme form of dementia. In the past, some scientists believed that occasional drinking could help to prevent cognitive decline, but that notion has fallen by the wayside in recent years. 

Depression 

People who have experienced bouts of depression in the middle of their lives have increased risk of developing dementia. Scientists are unsure of what exactly causes this connection, but it may carry over into a person’s latter years as well. There is a possibility that depression is a byproduct of dementia in the later stages of life rather than a risk factor, but it is undeniable that the two often go hand in hand. More research will be needed to determine the specific reasons for the connection between depression and dementia. 

Caring for Yourself or Your Loved One 

If you or someone you love have one or more of the risk factors outlined here, it is never too late to make changes to your lifestyle to help prevent the onset of dementia. However, there may come a time when your loved one needs full time care. Here at Lakeside Manor, we offer best in class Alzheimer’s Care in a cozy residential facility.  Reach out to us today to learn more about what we have to offer and how we can help care your loved one.

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If you struggle with the decision of when to put your loved one into a dementia residential care home, you aren’t alone. More adults find themselves facing the fact that in-home care is more demanding on them than they ever imagined. Most adults have other responsibilities that prevent them from giving the round-the-clock care that dementia patients eventually need. Instead of taking on a burden that isn’t good for you or your loved one, focus on choosing the right home for their dementia care.

Dementia Residential Care Home

Do They Offer Specialized Dementia Care?

People with dementia require very specific types of care. They need to have activities available that will stimulate their brains and extend their memories for as long as possible. A facility that specializes in dementia care does more than provide shelter and a safe environment. They also provide activities and therapy to help their residents enjoy a better quality of life.

Music therapy increases the release of chemicals in the brain that improve mood and reduce stress and agitation. The response to music continues to provide benefits even after the music stops. Most impressive of all is that listening to music can evoke old memories. Providing activities such as crafts also helps. Look for a dementia residential care home that spends time with their residents doing the things that will prolong their memories.

Where Are They Located?

For many adults, it is better to find a care home close to them and not close to the loved one’s former home. Once your loved one leaves home, their condition will only grow worse over time. You and your family must face the reality that they will not return to their home.

What is most important to your loved one is to have family members around them. The support family members provide is vital to the patient’s physical and mental health. They also need support outside of the home, such as taking care of financial needs or managing their property. Having your loved one close to you will also reduce demands on your time if they should become ill and need to go to the hospital.

What Is Their Approach to Dementia Care?

There are different types of dementia and the symptoms vary among different people. Taking the same approach to dementia care will leave some people shortchanged of the personalized care they need. Make sure a care home offers individualized care instead of implementing the same types of treatment for everyone.

What Is Their Policy for Going Outdoors?

There’s a lot of difference between keeping residents safe and keeping them locked away. Dementia patients benefit a great deal from being outdoors. Working in a garden provides even greater benefits as long as the staff monitors gardening activities to ensure safety. Find out if the dementia residential care home you talk with encourages residents to spend time outdoors. Also, ask if they have interactions with their community and/or what types of outdoor activities they provide.

What Is Their Visitor’s Policy?

 Ask who you will need to communicate with to get updates about your loved one’s care. Do they have limited visiting hours and, if so, when are they? Keeping track of who comes and goes is an important step in keeping all residents safe and secure. You don’t want your loved one to be “off limits” but you do want a home with a reasonable policy that makes it convenient to visit your loved one.

What Do They Do to Keep Your Loved One Safe?

How is the home set up and what types of security do they have in place? Is there supervision around the clock? How far can your loved one go without getting out of the range of view? An estimated six in ten dementia patients wander. Dementia is a progressive disease and your loved one will continue to decline in their ability to find things and places that they know. You need to know they are protected in case they suddenly try to go somewhere.

Request a Tour

Calling a home on the phone is a good start to having your questions answered and getting some of the information you need to help you make a decision. For example, what kind of living quarters will the home provide to your loved one? Does it have a cozy, at-home feel or more of a clinical one? Ask the home if they provide tours. If not, it isn’t the right place for your loved one. If they are confident in the services they provide, they should agree to show you what it is they do.

If they do offer tours, take along any questions you have about the care they offer for dementia patients. Pay attention to the setting, the workers, and the patients. This is your chance to see firsthand the environment the home provides to dementia patients.

Read Reviews

You aren’t the first adult who has struggled with the decision of which dementia care facility to choose, and you won’t be the last. Reviews offer a window into the care the home provides and can enlighten you about some of the issues you hadn’t thought about before.

Choosing a dementia residential care home for your loved one is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Knowing what to ask and what to look for will give you the confidence that you made the right choice. Contact Lakeside Manor today to schedule a tour at a time that’s convenient for you. We specialize in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in San Diego.

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The trained caregiver is fully aware of what is happening:

– repetitive questions of the same wording;

– confusion about time and place orientation – “where am I?”

– requests for something has just happened – to do it again – and again;

– wanting to talk to folks from their past who are no longer around; and,

– with little comprehension that they have a loss of memory.

The best ways to address this are:

– stop what you’re doing and listen to the resident;

– if it can be, address the need or request;

– redirect by suggestion, often to ‘go’ or to ‘eat’ –

“Let’s go up to the den and check on those folks up there.”

“Did you get any of that cheescake – it was good – let’s go get some.”

“Let’s talk about Bob, when was the last time you saw him.”

The most important aspect of Memory Care is to have empathy with what is happening and take the time and patience to pay attention to and address this person who is simply trying to communicate, confused as they may be.

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Reality: As people age, it’s normal to have occasional memory problems, such as forgetting the name of a person you’ve recently met. However, Alzheimer’s is more than occasional memory loss. It’s a disease that causes brain cells to malfunction and ultimately die. When this happens, an individual may forget the name of a longtime friend or what roads to take to return to a home they’ve lived in for decades.

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