Dementia Care
Dementia care: How to get support from friends and family
This is an edited extract from A Carer’s Guide: Helping you care for someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementias by Rosette Teitel and Sharon Wall is reproduced with the permission of Finch Publishing.
The entertainment media have given us an idealised version of family life. In reality, things don’t work out as easily as they do on TV and in movies.
If unresolved issues create unpleasant undercurrents at gatherings such as Christmas, they really come to the surface during a family crisis.
Dementia care: Problems with toileting
People with dementia often have problems with toileting. Carers can find this particularly distressing and difficult to manage.
Dementia care: Communication and dementia
Losing the ability to communicate is one of the most distressing aspects of dementia. It can be especially painful and isolating losing the comfort and intimacy of close conversation with someone close to you.
Dementia care: Managing changes in behaviour
Coping with changed behaviours is one of the most challenging aspects of caring for someone with dementia.
Coping with dementia and shadowing
Mum follows dad around the house constantly. He tries to put her in front of the TV just for a break but she doesn’t sit still for very long and gets agitated after a short while. Dad is getting frustrated and doesn’t know how to keep her occupied, what can he do?
Dementia care: Encouraging healthy meals
Meeting the nutritional needs of a person with dementia can be problematic and place extra strain on a carer.
Dementia care: What to do when someone wanders
Aged care consultant Sharon Wall discusses what to do when a family member with dementia wanders.
Dementia care: Dementia and concerns about safety
People with dementia often lose their ability to recognise hazards in the environment. It can be a constant worry for a carer trying to keep a loved one with dementia safe and out of harm's way.
Dementia care: What are hallucinations and delusions?
Hallucinations and delusions can be very frightening and real for the person experiencing them.
Dementia care: Coping with disturbed sleep patterns
For caregivers being awakened repeatedly at night and missing out on essential sleep can be one of the most disturbing and stressful aspects of being a carer.
Disclaimer: This site is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem, nor as a substitute for professional advice with a qualified health professional or doctor.
