5 Helpful Tips for Caregivers of Dementia Patients

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyCareGivingStory #CollectiveBias

A few years ago my mom’s life ended after a long battle with dementia. She went from a hard working single mom to a mom that slowly started forgetting simple things and then becoming increasingly moody. When you have a loved one who is diagnosed with dementia, there is a roller coaster of emotions that occur, especially for those who become their caregivers. As one of my mom’s caregivers, I experienced and learned a lot during this time. If you are a caregiver for someone who has dementia or know someone who is, I would love to share with you 5 Helpful Tips for Caregivers of Dementia Patients.

From my experience and the education that I have received, dementia is not a specific disease and includes a wide range of symptoms. Based on how dementia affected my mom, I compiled some tips that will hopefully be helpful if you are a caregiver.

• Take Notes: Dementia has a mind of its own. In addition to the variety of symptoms that come along with dementia, you cannot predict how quickly the symptoms will worsen. It’s important to keep a day to day log of everything that you may think is important so that you can have the doctor review it.
• Support System: It is important to have a support system. This may not be possible for everyone, but taking care of someone with dementia can be hard, so it’s important to try and find time for yourself and it’s important to find someone that you can talk to.
• Thick Skin: One symptom of dementia is a change in an individual’s mood and personality. One minute my mom would be offering root beer to the neighborhood kids walking home from school, and then the next minute yelling at the neighbor for mowing his lawn on a Saturday morning. She was also very quick to accuse you of stealing something that she gave you, so it’s important to understand that they can’t help it. Dementia comes with a roller coaster of uncontrollable emotions.
• Leave Notes: I remember going to my mom’s house when she was finally diagnosed with dementia and seeing yellow notes all over her house. In an effort to help her remember simple things such as how to turn the ceiling fan on to when to brush her teeth, another caregiver placed these notes all around the house as her daily reminders that she could turn to.
• Stock Up On Supplies: From my experience when someone is diagnosed with dementia, often times their mind is not the only thing that begins to diminish and change. Over time, my mom experienced not only memory loss but confusion, in addition to incontinence, the inability to chew and swallow without choking, and more. Since symptoms are unpredictable with people that have been diagnosed with dementia it’s important to stock up on necessary supplies so that you always have what you need.

When I was a caregiver for my mom, I liked to purchase the supplies that she often needed from Sam’s Club. It was the perfect one-stop shop for everything that I needed for my mom, and as a Sam’s Club member I received exclusive benefits. At times my mom would get confused and not remember where she was or where the restroom was, and often times because of this, she was not able to hold her bladder. Two items that I made sure to stock up on at Sam’s Club are Member’s Mark Premium Adult Washcloths and Member’s Mark Maximum Long Pads.

What’s great about the Member’s Mark Maximum Long Pads is that they quickly absorb moisture and odor to keep skin safe. Plus, they are individually wrapped, so you can discreetly carry them on outings with your elderly loved ones. I like that Member’s Mark creates products that allow you to truly help family members.

The Member’s Mark Premium Adult Washcloths are extra strong and soft and are full coverage, which is great for thorough cleaning.

Being a caregiver for someone who is sick and no longer capable of making decisions for themselves can be very stressful, leaves you with a rollercoaster of emotions, and can have you questioning if you are making the right decisions. If you are the caretaker of a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia, I hope that this list is helpful. For those who have had caregiver experience with dementia patients, please feel free to share any helpful tips.

A real and raw story about a daughter (me) that watched her mom go through dementia– Dear God, Please Let My Mother Die