How do you relax someone with dementia?

Use calming phrases such as: "You're safe here;" "I'm sorry that you are upset;" and "I will stay until you feel better." Let the person know you are there. Involve the person in activities. Try using art, music or other activities to help engage the person and divert attention away from the anxiety.


What are some coping strategies for dementia?

Keeping an active social life, regular exercise, and continuing activities the person enjoys, or finding new ones, can help to reduce behaviours that are out of character. Read more about activities for dementia. Other things that can help include: providing reassurance.

What comforts a dementia patient?

Comfort the person with verbal and physical reassurance. Distraction or redirection might also help. Giving your loved one a job such as folding laundry might help to make her feel needed and useful. People with dementia may become uncooperative and resistant to daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating.


How do you cheer up someone with dementia?

Relate To Them

It's always good to end the train of thought on a positive note. One that we like to use is, “but you're still here, and I'm thankful for that every day.” Ending an empathetic statement with a positive like “and we're lucky to have you!” can help bring their self-esteem up.

What it means when a person with dementia says I want to go home?

Often when a person with dementia asks to go home it refers to the sense of home rather than home itself. 'Home' may represent memories of a time or place that was comfortable and secure and where they felt relaxed and happier. It could also be an indefinable place that may not physically exist.


Caregiver Training: Refusal to Bathe | UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care



What do dementia patients like to watch?

Reality TV shows are also easy to follow for seniors with Alzheimer's or dementia. Shows such as American Idol, Dancing With the Stars and American Pickers don't have a running plot, making them easy forms of entertainment for everyone. Ambient videos may also interest patients with Alzheimer's.

What not to say to someone with dementia?

I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.

What stage is restlessness in dementia?

It can occur at any stage of the disease but it tends to peak in the middle stages of dementia and lessens as the disease progresses. Sundowning often affects the person's quality of life and it can be exhausting for the caregiver.


What are meaningful activities for dementia?

Meaningful activities can include a range of things from the usual tasks of daily life, such as, cooking, cleaning, gardening, self-care, through to activities which engage like a call or a zoom session with a relative or friends.

What are the three behavioral problems associated with dementia?

Agitation (physical or verbal aggression, general emotional distress, restlessness, pacing, shredding paper or tissues and/or yelling). Delusions (firmly held belief in things that are not real). Hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there).

What are the Six C's of dementia care?

What are the 6Cs in care?
  • Care.
  • Compassion.
  • Competence.
  • Communication.
  • Courage.
  • Commitment.
  • Case studies of the 6Cs in action.


Should dementia patients watch TV?

For men and women with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, it can be especially beneficial. Watching movies and TV shows can help keep their brain active, which can stimulate positive memories, improve mood, and even increase socialization.

What activities do dementia patients like to do?

Reminiscing activities for dementia patients at home
  • Look through photo albums. Photo albums with pictures from your loved one's childhood or young adulthood can bring back favorite memories. ...
  • Watch old movies and TV shows. ...
  • Listen to music and sing. ...
  • Explore history through catalogs and magazines.


How do you stop dementia from getting bored?

Continue reading to find out some suggestions of activities to do with you loved ones living with dementia and Alzheimer's.
  1. Exercise and physical activity. ...
  2. Reminisce about their life. ...
  3. Engage them in their favourite activities. ...
  4. Cooking and baking. ...
  5. Animal therapy. ...
  6. Go out and about. ...
  7. Explore nature. ...
  8. Read their favourite book.


Which stage of dementia typically lasts the longest?

Middle-stage Alzheimer's is typically the longest stage and can last for many years. As the disease progresses, the person with Alzheimer's will require a greater level of care.

What signs of dementia occurs last?

Signs of the final stages of dementia include some of the following:
  • Being unable to move around on one's own.
  • Being unable to speak or make oneself understood.
  • Eating problems such as difficulty swallowing.


What is the best medication for agitation in dementia?

Antipsychotic medications for hallucinations, delusions, aggression, agitation, hostility and uncooperativeness:
  • Aripiprazole (Abilify®)
  • Clozapine (Clozaril®)
  • Haloperidol (Haldol®)
  • Olanzapine (Zyprexa®)
  • Quetiapine (Seroquel®)
  • Risperidone (Risperdal®)
  • Ziprasidone (Geodon®)


What weird things do dementia patients do?

These behaviors include repeating themselves constantly, shadowing their caregiver, or flipping the TV channels nonstop. Dementia patients are known to engage in many unusual and often “annoying” behaviors.

Should dementia patients be told the truth?

Honesty isn't always the best policy when it comes to someone with Alzheimer's or dementia. That's because their brain may experience a different version of reality. Dementia damages the brain and causes progressive decline in the ability to understand and process information.

What is the most common cause of death in dementia patients?

One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection. A person in the later stages of dementia may have symptoms that suggest that they are close to death, but can sometimes live with these symptoms for many months.


What is the second most common behavior associated with dementia?

Verbal aggression/threats (54%) and physical aggression/agitation (42%) constitute the 2 most frequent behavioral disturbances reported in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Do dementia patients crave attention?

People with dementia begin to feel lost, confused, and insecure. Attention-seeking behavior displayed by needy elderly people with dementia is their way of asking for help.

What is finger food for dementia patients?

Suitable finger foods include: small sandwiches, cubes of cheese, meatballs, fruit platters or small fruit muffins. Ideally, finger foods in a dementia menu wouldn't frequently include party pies, sausage rolls and other common party foods, as these lack adequate nutrition.


What are the signs dementia is getting worse?

increasing confusion or poor judgment. greater memory loss, including a loss of events in the more distant past. needing assistance with tasks, such as getting dressed, bathing, and grooming. significant personality and behavior changes, often caused by agitation and unfounded suspicion.

What is the average life expectancy after being diagnosed with dementia?

The average life expectancy figures for the most common types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease – around eight to 10 years. Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s. A few people with Alzheimer's live for longer, sometimes for 15 or even 20 years.