Check up on health
When a person is living with dementia there are some potential health issues and risks to be aware of, including:
Anxiety and low mood
Night-time restlessness
Increased risk of falls
Dental problems
As a minimum, try to get to see the GP twice a year to have a medication review – they may need new medication or benefit from a change to the current dosage. Go for regular eye, dental and hearing checks, too
Undetected health issues, especially ones that cause pain or discomfort, can cause challenging behaviour and changes in mood. You can read more about these here <Link to Health>, but a person with dementia needs to have regular health checks and medication reviews. If they have vascular dementia, which is most commonly linked to smoking and high blood pressure, check-ups are crucial.
Keep them active
If the person you’re caring for was previously active or has a particular sport or activity they love, see if you can encourage them to return to it, with your support and assistance.
Being active can help to protect against lots of other diseases. And being physically fit helps with balance, co-ordination and flexibility and can help guard against falls as well as help with the frequency and seriousness of falls. It also increases blood flow to muscles and brain.
But staying active and enjoying exercise doesn’t have to be difficult: walking or swimming are both excellent forms of exercise or you could introduce chair exercises at home, a dance around the kitchen or include gardening in the weekly routine.
Read more about ways to get active here <Link to Staying active>.
Stay connected
Encourage and support the person’s social life as much as you can. Keeping connected socially and being active in the wider community is a really great way to support wellbeing for someone living with dementia. Socialising with others, being involved and feeling useful are all super important at keeping boredom, loneliness and depression at bay.
Try to find ways to ensure the person you’re caring for gets to see friends. Their social circle might shrink as some people won’t know how to interact with them (or be able to handle the symptoms of dementia). But don’t assume everyone is like this – there will be others who are willing and keen to continue their friendship.
When the person you’re caring for does see friends, encourage them to help that person to feel valued. So rather than just sitting together, ask if there’s something the person with dementia can do either with them or for them, for example, help prepare a simple snack or water the garden.
Also look for suitable volunteering opportunities in your local community or try group activities to make new friends. Check out what’s on in your area here <Link to What’s on>.
Prioritise sleep
Dementia can bring changes to sleep patterns that might make getting a good night’s sleep tricky, which might have a knock-on effect on how a person feels during the daytime. People who are not well rested can experience low mood. And lack of sleep can also make someone less able to fight off infections and may exacerbate memory problems.
A person with dementia may wake a lot during the night, but here’s what helps:
Facilitate a nap during the day when needed, but keep an eye on how long they sleep for, and try not to make the nap too late in the day.
Avoid giving them coffee or other stimulants late at night.
Encourage exercise – exercising during the day might help them to sleep better at night.
Try to encourage a good sleep routine – going to bed and getting up at the same time every day helps.
Help them to get some natural light first thing in the morning – it signals to the brain that it’s morning and time to be up and awake. Try going for an early walk or sit in the garden first thing.
Read more sleep tips here <link to Sleep>.
Look out for dehydration
It’s common for a person with dementia to forget to drink. This can lead to dehydration which can cause health issues such as urinary tract infections as well as leading to dizziness and falls.
Sometimes people living with dementia find it hard to identify thirst, so leave glasses of water around the house with notes saying ‘drink me’ and use other visual cues, like pictures and notes near the sink or fridge. Give the person cordials, juices or hydrating foods like jelly or fruit if they don’t like plain water.
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Spotting signs of a urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infections (or UTIs) can be common in older people who don’t drink enough water. They should be treated immediately, as they can cause problems that may result in a hospital stay that could have been avoided.
Symptoms include:
• Pain or burning sensation when peeing
• Frequent need to use the loo – or a feeling as if they need to pee
• Pain in the lower tummy
• Very sudden changes in mood, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea and pain in the side, back or groin and sometimes confusion and delirium or what may seem like an increase in their dementia symptoms.
The person needs to seek medical help immediately if you suspect they have a UTI. <Link to UTI article>.
Make dignity a priority
Never make the person you’re caring for feel incapable of their own care – even if they need a lot of support with getting dressed on their own or cooking their meal. Instead, try:
Respecting their needs – allow extra time to assist with dressing and washing when going out.
Engaging – distract with conversation while helping with personal care.
Empathising – consider how it feels for the person with dementia to be cared for during daily tasks like washing and dressing.
Promoting independence – encourage them to do as much as possible without criticism or taking over. It will boost self esteem.
Not correcting or contradicting. It could make them feel incapable and lacking in confidence or make them angry.
Help them to eat well
Eating well is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for those living with dementia.
Build regular mealtimes into a daily routine <link to Routine> and make sure meals are nutritionally beneficial. Some people with dementia find they prefer sweet foods and skip meals in favour of biscuits, cake and ice cream, which can lead to obesity and diseases like diabetes and dental decay.
You can read more about eating well here <Link to Eating>
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