How To Engage With Family Members Suffering From Dementia

Dementia is a serious disease that affects between 5 to 7 percent of people over the age of 60. However, this number drastically increases as the age rises as well. This can impact family members. The holiday season is a time when families come together to eat and share in the joy. 

That is why it is important to be prepared on how to kindly treat family members with dementia. 

When family members gather around the table it is important to have a caring and compassionate attitude towards family members who may be suffering from dementia. This is important in order to ensure they’re comfortable and in extension, you and everyone else is as well. 

As previously stated in another article, in the early stages of dementia, individuals can still be very talkative and engaging. That is why you may not even notice when someone has it. However, regardless of what stage dementia has progressed to, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure their comfort and enjoyment.

What Can I Do?

One thing you can try is to put on music that they enjoy. This can spark something even in late-stage dementia patients.  Music is known to help dementia patients with memory recall and positive emotions.  Another helpful activity is looking over family photos with them. This can stir memories, good conversation, and lighten the mood.

Besides for activities, be mindful that people with dementia may experience fatigue later in the day so it is best to start the meal earlier.

Conversations

Conversations around the dinner table can become tense and awkward at times. That is completely normal for any family. However, a person experiencing cognitive decline might experience increased stress during conversations. That is why it is important to be cognizant of your behavior when communicating with family members who have dementia. That doesn’t mean to act differently, but to be more mindful of certain behaviors such as:

1) Patience: Be a patient listener and be comfortable listening to them.  You may hear the same story multiple times or a story may draw on longer than you’d like but enjoy these precious moments with them.

 2) Thick Skinned: Don’t take offense to offhanded comments. Don’t take it to heart and understand confusion may be playing a part in it.

3) Over Correcting: Sometimes we tend to correct people in conversations over simple matters such as mispronunciation of a word. This should be avoided when engaging with family members who have dementia. Although it is unintentional, it might make them feel uncomfortable.  So, it is best to be avoided. 

The Takeaway

It is important to understand that not all people with dementia behave the same. That is why you must gauge the situation and determine how to act. These guidelines are a basic understanding of certain activities and behaviors that seem to have positive results with those with Dementia. 

As more holidays approach, be ever mindful the impact that you can have on your loved ones.

From us at Pathways Neuropsychology, we wish you a Happy Holidays. 

We here at Pathways Neuropsychology have been treating dementia and Alzheimer related challenges for quite some time and have a thorough understanding of how to treat our clients. Please, if you ever have a concern about yourself or a loved one experiencing dementia, give us a call and we will help provide the best care available. 

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