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10/02/2008 at 09.30 by: Jennifer Benjamin
Dementia Care: Tricks of the Trade
Dementia care can be a challenging business. In many instances the individual afflicted can become agitated and aggressive during times of personal care and other daily tasks. As professionals in the home care field we've learned a few tricks of the trade to work with and get around the resistant behavior of those with demenetia. Below are a few rules to follow: 1. Always use the individual's happiness as your guiding light. Don't ever force an activity (unless it is life threatening). 2. In order to get them to do a particular task, keep that person distracted or content while doing it. 3. Always respect that person's personal space and modesty. Do things that help to maintain his or her dignity. 4. Do what you can to make the task at hand pleasant and comfortable for the individual with dementia. 5. Never rush. Take your time and go slowly.
1. Try incorporating music. Play some old music from that person's generation. Sing together as you perform the task. 2. For bath time - try running the water first to a comfortable temperature. Use scented candles or oils if possible. Add bubbles to make it look enticing. Turn down the lighting to make the room look more relaxing. 3. If bathing is not possible use waterless shampoo. Try sponge baths in bed. 4. Use humor. Change the subject with a joke. 5. Keep it simple. Don't argue or go into a full lecture about the importance of bathing. Simply say "If you take your bath now, we can have dinner." Or, "Let's get cleaned up before we go out to the store". 6. Make it quick. Have everything you need for the bath ready and at your finger tips. Helping those with Dementia with personal care can be a daunting task. Keeping it simple, pleasant, and quick can make a world of a difference. If that still does not work, ask yourself how important it actually is to complete that task today. If it's not life threatening but is causing the person escalating anxiety, anger, and resistance, just skip it. Try again later. With Dementia all you have left is the person's emotional responses. Use those to help guide you through assisting them with their day to day activities.
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