Reducing Frustration Issues When Your Loved One Has Dementia
If your parent has recently started showing signs of dementia, then you may notice some fairly abrupt changes in actions, reactions, and behaviors. If your loved one needs assistance, then an elderly care professional can help. You will also likely need to offer assistance, and this can be extremely frustrating for both you and your parent. If frustration is coming between you, then there are a few tactics you can use to reduce these issues, such as:
Give Clear Choices
As individuals develop dementia, they can become confused if they are provided with too much information. This confusion can lead to frustration if your parent is unable to make a choice. Frustration can build if you make the choice for your parent, as this reduces their sense of independence. If you know a bit about dementia, then you may know that retaining that independence is key when it comes to preventing depression and slow cognitive decline.
To retain your parent's sense of self, try not to ask open-ended questions where there are numerous possibilities that need to be considered. Instead, offer several concrete choices instead. For example, do not ask what your loved one wants for dinner. Instead, ask if they would like one of several meals.
Similar suggestions can be made when it comes to clothing choices or activities. Clothing is especially difficult for people with dementia, because they may not remember the season and whether shorts or pants are an appropriate choice. Also, dementia can make it difficult to match clothing. You can either prepare outfits that help your parent make these decisions or you can purchase pants, shirts, and socks in solid colors that match.
Retain A Calm Environment
If you have ever tried to concentrate with children running around the house, the television blaring, and a dog barking, then you know what it is like to try to concentrate when a multitude of distractions are present. Now, image if these distractions are present and you do not have the mental capacity to retain clear thoughts or to recall information. You could see how this can be problematic and extremely frustrating.
If you can, help to create a quiet and calm environment. Reducing distractions can go a long way to keeping your loved one relaxed and free from stress.
While you cannot remove all distractions, simple things like turning the television off to reduce noise, closing shades to reduce glare in the home, and closing windows so that your parent cannot hear the neighborhood kids or the outdoor traffic can go a long way to creating a calm environment.
Contact a company like Polish Helping Hands for more information and assistance.
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