A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Some people develop Dementia with old age. As the caregiver of someone with Dementia, it can be a tough road. It’s important to know what things to look out for. The following contributed post is entitled, Living With Dementia: The Trials And Tribulations Of A Carer.
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Between 5 to 7% of people over the age of 60 suffer from some form of dementia. By the time you hit 85, this number increases to between 25 and 50%. Unfortunately, when you reach this age it can literally be a coin toss whether you do develop this condition. That’s a problem because life expectancy is increasing. On average, we’re all living a lot longer than we used to, which means that mental health issues associated with age are going to become more common. What can we do about this?
Well, we need to be prepared for living with dementia. This is going to be important if your partner develops the condition or if you choose to look after an elderly member of your family at home. What changes should you make?
Child Safety
As silly as it might sound, if your partner is suffering from dementia or you are bringing someone with dementia home to live with you, you need to get the child safety equipment out the attic. Alternatively, this is available to buy on the market. You need to make sure that you are putting measures in place to ensure that someone with dementia can’t hurt themselves.
Be aware that people with this condition can forget what they are doing while in the middle of a task. An example would be pouring a cup of tea. A person suffering from dementia could forget they were pouring and start putting the water on their hands rather than the cup.
Safe Furniture
If you visit a care home equipped for dementia, you will find that they tend to use special types of furniture. This furniture is designed to provide the maximum levels of safety for individuals in their care. That does include everything from slips and falls to a potential hit on the head. Companies like Crown Furniture provide mental health furniture that is ideal for keeping environments safe and free from hazards.
Cues And Support
Depending on the stage of the condition, it might be necessary to ensure that you are putting cues around the home. These can be cards that are laminated and placed in key areas. It provides information that someone might need to protect themselves or to continue to live with some level of independence. For instance, you might label the fridge, the microwave and the phone. Studies have shown that these cues can help a great deal.
Safe Place To Sleep
Finally, it’s common for someone with dementia to forget where they are in the middle of the night. This can cause them to fall out of bed which can lead to both a shock and an injury. It’s important therefore to consider investing in a lower bed so the fall won’t be as severe. You can also consider purchasing a bed with sides.
We hope this helps you deal with some of the issues that you could face when living with someone who has dementia. It is important to keep them safe as well anyone who is sharing the environment. Be aware that people with dementia can be a threat to themselves and to others without warning.
