When your elderly loved one shows signs of forgetfulness, it’s natural to feel concerned and question whether it’s a normal part of ageing or an early sign of dementia. While occasional forgetfulness is typical as one ages, persistent memory lapses that interfere with daily activities could suggest a more serious condition like dementia.
Dr Cleo Chiong, a family physician at St Luke’s Hospital, notes that dementia commonly impacts individuals aged 65 and above. “It occurs when the brain deteriorates or sustains damage, resulting in difficulties with memory, communication, and cognitive functions, ultimately impacting the person’s day-to-day life,” she explained.
Living With Dementia
What kind of care do persons with dementia need?
If your family member has been diagnosed with dementia, it’s important to provide appropriate care to manage their symptoms effectively. As you consider care options, you may come across different types of care such as traditional elderly care and dementia care, which are sometimes mistaken for each other. While both types of care aim to improve the quality of life for seniors, they differ significantly in their approaches.
Dementia care is dedicated to managing cognitive decline, memory loss, and behavioural changes linked to dementia. It is customised based on your loved one’s condition and incorporates structured routines, memory aids, and strategies to address challenging dementia behaviours like aggression and wandering. Persons living with dementia also require closer supervision and more adjustments to their living spaces as safety is often a concern.
On the other hand, traditional elderly care covers the general health and well-being of the elderly, including managing chronic conditions, physical health, and daily tasks like bathing and eating. It also incorporates caring for the elderly’s declining mental capacity but it’s not a key focus unless the patient has dementia.
As the caregiver of a person living with dementia, you’ll need to receive specialised training to understand the cause of their behaviour of concern, and effectively manage your loved one’s condition, while caregivers of elderly who do not have dementia would receive training that is more general.
READ: Does Dementia Run In Families?
Care home or home care?
Patients living with dementia who are living at home may benefit from a familiar environment and dedicated care by a trusted family member. Living at home is more likely to provide them with comfort, peace of mind, greater independence and helps reduce their anxiety. It could also be more cost effective than living in a care home.
However, families who wish to care for persons living with dementia at home must have trustworthy caregivers to ensure the safety of the patient. These patients are often unable to care for themselves or manage their own medications, more prone to injuries due to their limited mobility, and may exhibit dangerous behaviours such as wandering, and sundowning – a state of confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the night.
While you may desire to care for your loved one at home, it’s important you are prepared mentally and receive the right training. Untrained caregivers may feel frustrated and overwhelmed by the needs of the patient and symptoms of the disease.
If caring for your loved one at home becomes so challenging that it affects the family’s well-being, do consider sending the patient into a specialised care home. When the patient is staying in a care facility, the family can re-evaluate the care options of their loved ones. It also gives them time to undergo specialised training and make arrangements to their home environment if their goal is to care for their loved one at home .
READ: Why do dementia patients become like children?
Benefits of a specialised care home
Persons with dementia who move into specialised care homes such as St Luke’s Hospital benefit from round-the-clock care in a safe, dementia-friendly environment. Such facilities are equipped with systems to prevent wandering and accidents, reduce the risk of falls and injuries and provide the family with greater peace of mind.
Care homes also focus on improving the patient’s quality of life by tailoring specialised programmes to their interests, such as music therapy, animal therapy, art and crafts and sensory gardens.
In addition, the social environment in such care homes helps patients overcome isolation by offering opportunities for interaction and engagement with other patients and volunteers to provide mental stimulation and improve well-being.
When can my loved one go home?
When your family is ready to care for your loved one at home, consider the following factors to ensure the patient’s safety and welfare.
- The severity of dementia and the level of care required.
Patients who require constant supervision may be better cared for by professionals in a care home. - The safety of the home environment.
You may need to modify some parts of the home to ensure the safety of the patient. - Availability of trusted caregivers who can take turns to ensure the well-being of the patient.
Consider engaging respite care services so that the main caregiver can have a break, if there are no alternative caregivers in the family. - The patient’s preferences and what would be more beneficial for the patient.
Being at home in a familiar environment can provide comfort to the patient if their needs are taken care of. However, do remember that changing surroundings can impact the patient’s mental state.
Learn More: St Luke’s Hospital Launches Music Therapist-led Community Inclusive Choir for Persons Living with Dementia and their Caregivers
Moving the persons living with dementia home
Once your family has decided that caring for your loved one with dementia at home is the best option, it is important to work closely with healthcare professionals who can provide invaluable support during this transition.
Healthcare professionals can develop a personalised care plan for the persons living with dementia, and ensure that your loved one receives the necessary outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as mental health support.
Aside from providing dementia care training and education, healthcare professionals can also connect you with community resources, support groups, and respite care services, and offer guidance on making the home environment safe and accessible.
Caring for your loved ones with dementia isn’t easy and there are many difficult decisions to be made. Whether your loved one is being cared for at home or in a care home, the best way to provide effective, compassionate and comprehensive care is to work closely with healthcare professionals and hospitals who specialise in dementia care such as St Luke’s Hospital.
Learn More Dementia Care Service - Our multi-disciplinary dementia care team journeys alongside persons with dementia and their caregivers, helping to manage behaviours of concern, and to cope at home and in the community.
