They could have expected it. They might have seen the signs that a senior patient was repeating questions, calling familiar items the wrong name, or taking extra time to manage their daily routine. When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, the news can be devastating. While it’s important to support them through it, their caregivers need support through their diagnosis too. This is a guide for all healthcare professionals in East Tennessee to help navigate seniors and their loved ones through a dementia diagnosis:
Dementia is a Shared Experience
A dementia diagnosis is challenging for everyone, not just the patient. Once a diagnosis happens, it’s a shared experience moving forward. While everyone processes grief differently, it’s important that caregivers are aware memory care is an option for their seniors. Memory care supports seniors with dementia while creating a nurturing, comforting environment.
Stay Informed
Sometimes what’s “unknown” is the scariest part of a diagnosis. Learning more about dementia can help with understanding it rather than fearing it. The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association have online resources to learn more about the disease. Encouraging families to read about dementia prepares them for what to expect moving forward.
Communication is Key
When a senior is diagnosed with dementia, their communication style can change. It’s normal to get frustrated because communicating with them can get increasingly difficult. Carefully consider your volume and tone, keep eye contact, and encourage a two-way conversation. Always make an effort to include the patient when talking about their diagnosis, symptoms, and future plans. It’s important to make them feel comfortable and capable without demeaning them. Be direct, kind, encouraging, and, most of all, patient and optimistic.
Plan a Daily Routine
With dementia, there will be moments that feel like setbacks. However, caregivers can stay positive by focusing on what they can control. A daily routine and a positive outlook toward long-term plans limit stress and confusion. To-do lists, memory cards, and calendars can make managing daily tasks easier. If a patient has more than one caregiver, recommend they designate who’s responsible for transportation, medications, and mealtimes.
Caregivers Need Care, Too
Any profession that meets with dementia patients can find it hard to avoid burnout. Check in with yourself often. Are you feeling more irritated, exhausted, depressed, or withdrawn? If so, take a break, and encourage caregivers to do the same. Let them know it’s always okay to ask for help, too. Alzheimer’s Tennessee conducts several in-person and virtual caregiver support groups each month. For a county-by-county list of caregiver support groups, visit their website at https://www.alztennessee.org/support-groups. Those living with a dementia diagnosis can join a weekly Zoom support group on Wednesdays at 11:00 Eastern by following this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82009865749. Oasis Senior Advisors East Tennessee is a proud sponsor of Alzheimer’s Tennessee.
We’re Here to Help
Learning a loved one has dementia can be heartbreaking, and it can physically, mentally, and emotionally impact their friends’ and family’s well-being. If your patient has been diagnosed with dementia, Oasis Senior Advisors can help. When they’re ready to transition to senior living, we’ll guide them to the right community that cares, considers, and comforts them. Visit www.OasisSeniorAdvisors.com/East-TN to plan your senior’s journey toward senior living.
