Wellbeing

Start getting affairs in order

By taking action and helping the person your caring for to put their affairs in order sooner rather than later you’ll put minds at rest and allow space in life for more fulfilling activities.

Begin by thinking about the legal, financial and practical issues, such as:

Organising power of attorney
Looking at finances with them
Asking if they’ve got a will in place – if so, where is it?
Evaluating care needs
Sorting their home environment – is it safe and secure and are they happy?
Claiming any benefits they or you might be entitled to
Letting organisations know – insurance companies; DVLA, if still driving; work, if still employed

This is not an exhaustive list, so use our handy guide here in our Plans In Place section as your ‘to do’ check list – it will help you to prioritise.

Accept that all feelings are valid

Just like any illness, living with dementia (or symptoms of dementia) is likely to bring up a whole range of emotions for both of you.

There’s no right or wrong way to feel and while everyone’s different, it might be reassuring to know that there are some feelings that are common to many living with dementia. You can read more about what might be going on for the person you care for, here while you might be feeling everything from guilt to frustration.

If you’re finding it difficult to come to terms with someone’s dementia diagnosis, seek help. Your GP can refer you to talking therapies.

You can also speak to a trained dementia expert at Dementia UK on 0800 888 6678 about your feelings and connect with others in our online forum here.

Look out for support groups and activities aimed at carers, too – you can search up what’s going on in your area with our local directory if you click here.

Support them to get enough sleep

Sleep issues are common with dementia. There are many reasons for this and you can read more here <Link to Sleep> but being sleep deprived affects all areas of someone’s life and can make dementia symptoms worse.

Things that help include:

Encourage them to go outside in the morning – natural daylight helps our brain to understand that daytime is waking time. Try to sit with them in the garden or go for a walk around the block before lunch every day.
Try to help them cut down on daytime napping – if the person you’re caring for can’t get through the day without a nap try to make this either just before lunch or just after. Late afternoon naps can affect night-time sleep. Naps should ideally be limited to 30 to 60 minutes, max.
Limit alcohol, caffeine and sugary food and drink. Serve a main meal at lunchtime and avoid giving sugary food later in the day. Make the evening meal a light tea and encourage fluid consumption during the daytime – drinking copious amounts right before bedtime will mean broken sleep due to toilet visits.
Set the scene for sleep. Make sure their bedroom is dark, comfortable and the right temperature – ideally around 18 to 21°C. A relaxing herbal tea or warm milky drink before bed can work wonders.

Encourage them into a routine

Putting a routine in place will help on a practical level, but will also help to make you both feel more in control. Having a good routine in place also means you can plan in activities throughout the week so you’re both able to have enough time to stay healthy and happy.

You can read more about the importance of routine here, but creating a daily and weekly routine now will help you in future.

Help them to eat well

A healthy, well-balanced diet helps us all to feel well and can help those living with dementia to be less susceptible to other illnesses.

You can find more information about eating well here but planning meals and mealtimes will help as will using technology to set reminders of when to eat.

It’s also easy to forget to drink. This can lead to dehydration and result in:

Headaches
Urinary tract infections e.g. cystitis
Constipation

Sipping water and avoiding sugary or caffeinated drinks, especially close to bedtime, will help with hydration levels. You can also buy drinking bottles that are marked up with timed reminders to help a person with dementia to recognise they need to drink.

Socialise with others

Studies show that being with others is great for all of us. But loneliness is not. In fact it’s been proven that living an isolated life can reduce our ability to think, remember and problem solve, even if we don’t have dementia, so it’s important that you build some time in to be with other people.

Caring for someone with dementia can be very isolating, but there are things you can do together to get you out and about and meeting with others.

Try:

Having a go at a hobby you used to enjoy – or try something new
Volunteering
An adult education course
An arts and crafts group
Singing in a choir

You can find more ideas here <Hobbies> and discover what’s going on in your area here <link to What’s on>

Be active

Moving and being active is fantastic for overall health and wellbeing. It improves mood and makes you feel better. This is true both for those caring for someone with dementia and people living with dementia themselves. If you can combine moving your body with being with other people, so much better. Find an activity or hobby that you love and add it to your weekly routine.

Why not try:

Pilates, tai chi or yoga
Swimming
Dancing
Walking
Running
Bowls
Tennis or table tennis
Cycling

You can read more about the importance of staying active here <Link to Staying active> and you’ll find some great ideas.

Even if you just have a dance around your kitchen, walk around the block or do some stretches at home, some movement is better than nothing at all.

Treat yourself

Now’s a great time to indulge in some TLC. Whether it’s building in time to go to the gym or asking for help so you can go out with friends, self care is important when you’re caring for someone who’s living with dementia symptoms.

Why not try a complementary therapy for improved wellbeing. The person you’re caring for could benefit too: aromatherapy has been shown to have a positive effect on people living with dementia, according to Dementia UK https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/living-with-dementia/aromatherapy-and-dementia/ In small scale studies, aromatherapy has been shown to: