Dementia Care
Dementia care: Problems with toileting
People with dementia often have problems with toileting. Carers can find this particularly distressing and difficult to manage.
Insomnia and lack of sleep
Sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing. Getting enough sleep is important at any age. But many older people have difficulty sleeping. Older people commonly have problems falling to sleep, remaining asleep or they could feel sleepy all the time.
Dementia care: Communication and dementia
Losing the ability to communicate is one of the most distressing aspects of dementia. It can be especially painful and isolating losing the comfort and intimacy of close conversation with someone close to you.
Dementia care: What to do when someone wanders
Aged care consultant Sharon Wall discusses what to do when a family member with dementia wanders.
How do I explain to a loved one with dementia I'm placing them in a nursing home?
"I'm placing my loved one with dementia in a nursing home how do I explain to them what's going to happen? Should I tell them in advance? What if they resist?
How can I make it easier to transfer mum into the car?
For many frail older people getting in and out of the car can be time consuming and problematic. Carers too can often injure themselves when bending and twisting.
Are there any games I can buy for someone with dementia?
If you are trying to find an activity for someone with dementia have a think about what kinds of hobbies and interests the person enjoys. Activity or gadget boards are a great item to have in the home.
How long a person with dementia can concentrate on an activity will vary and largely depend on how far their dementia has progressed.
Dementia care: How to get support from friends and family
This is an edited extract from A Carer’s Guide: Helping you care for someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementias by Rosette Teitel and Sharon Wall is reproduced with the permission of Finch Publishing.
The entertainment media have given us an idealised version of family life. In reality, things don’t work out as easily as they do on TV and in movies.
If unresolved issues create unpleasant undercurrents at gatherings such as Christmas, they really come to the surface during a family crisis.
Dementia care: Managing changes in behaviour
Coping with changed behaviours is one of the most challenging aspects of caring for someone with dementia.
Coping with dementia and shadowing
Mum follows dad around the house constantly. He tries to put her in front of the TV just for a break but she doesn’t sit still for very long and gets agitated after a short while. Dad is getting frustrated and doesn’t know how to keep her occupied, what can he do?
Disclaimer: This site is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem, nor as a substitute for professional advice with a qualified health professional or doctor.
