Managing Dementia Care Tasks To Minimize Stress

If you are caring for an elderly relative that has been diagnosed with dementia, the tasks you perform to help this person will increase as their condition progresses. It is important to have a plan in place for dementia care management to help you get all tasks completed properly while ensuring your loved one has a fulfilling lifestyle in the process. Here are some tips to help you with dementia care management.

Keep On A Daily Schedule

It is best that your relative adhere to a daily schedule with tasks being done at approximately the same times of the day. Having a routine in place helps to keep your relative from mixing up day and night. They will be more apt to be agreeable about the tasks if they are done in a particular order. Your loved one may remember the order as well. Make sure to allot time for problems, however. if your loved one has difficulty with a task, or if they are adamant about not performing one at the allotted time, your schedule may become slightly altered. Adding a bit of time for these situations ensures you get all tasks completed within your scheduled timeframe.

Allow Choices But Keep Them Low

Instead of asking your loved one what outfit they prefer to wear or what entertainment they would like to engage in, provide them with two or three choices to select from. Giving your loved one a choice allows them to be involved with activities while keeping the list short helps you to find a solution to questions without frustration. This is important for keeping stress levels at a minimum for both you and your loved one.

Keep Distractions At A Minimum

A person suffering from dementia has difficulty concentrating when they are given instructions or when they attempt to perform a task. To make the processes easier for your loved one and to reduce your stress or anxiety when caring for them, make sure to keep distractions at bay. Do not allow the television to remain on all day and keep visits with others short and monitored. Giving your loved one instructions without loud sounds and a lot of activity around them makes it easier for them to successfully perform tasks. This is especially important during tasks such as eating or bathing when there is a need to be diligent about watching over them for safety reasons.


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