Helping your parent

Making daily life easier for your parent will make life more manageable for both of you. Keep her environment simple and predictable, and learn what makes her anxious, what helps her relax, what distracts her and what reassures her.

Rule number 1: Simplify His World

• Furniture should be simple and placed so that it can be easily used. Pathways should be clear. Once you clean up and arrange the furniture, don't rearrange it.

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• Use clear signs and labels. Example, you can label toiletries ("shampoo", "Conditioner", "lotion"). Sticky notes can be useful too ('Turn Off the Stove'). Or use drawing or symbols if written words don't work. For example, a picture of pants on the pants drawer. 

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• Keep the noise level down.

• Get phones with large push buttons. Can put picture of you on one and your sibling on the other for speed dial. 

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• Keep items that are often needed and frequently lost, in the same place all the time. His glasses are hanging from his neck.

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• When you have questions, keep them simple. Don't ask what he wants for dinner; You should ask "Do you want chicken rice or beef noodle tonight?" instead of "what do you want to eat tonight?"

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• Minise changes. They prefer more life stays the same, the better. New people, new foods, new activities, and new schedules might throw him off.

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Rule number 2: Let Him Do What He Can

Think of tasks that he can manage on his own or with minimal help. For example, ask him to hand you ingredients which you cook dinner as people with dementia who are encouraged  to stay active, remain social. If you father was a carpenter, gluing bits of wood together might feel familiar and make him happy.

Rule number 3: Forget Logic

You can't reason with him, so stop trying. Instead, give him a hug and hand him a comb. 

Rule number 4: Look for the message

Your parent cannot fully understand the world around her or clearly communicate her needs, so you need to decipher her signals as best you can.

For example, if you parents strickes at a visitor, maybe the person came at her unexpectedly and frightened her.

When she is upset, think about possible causes. You might keep a log and watch for patterns. 

Also, think about how she used to be and what she used to enjoy. If she has alwasy loved reading, and now she can't, perhaps that is causing her agitation. Perhaps an audiobook will calm her.

Rule number 5: Remain Patient and Calm

Treat her with respect.If she is criticising you in public, remain steadfast. Put yourself in her shoes. Imagine being given a colossal assigment, one that you simply cannot do. She can;t remember what to do next or why she is doinnng this at all. If you criticise her, hurry her or grow annoyed, she will become more anxious and less able to perform. 

September is World Alzheimer's Month

World Alzheimer's Month is the international campaign by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) every September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. World Alzheimer's Month was launched in 2012. World Alzheimer's Day is on 21 September each year. 

2 out of every 3 people globally believe there is little or no understanding of dementia in their countries. The impact of World Alzheimer's Month is growing, but the stigmatisation and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem that requires global action.

Check it out for dementia related products at https://www.ielder.my/dementia