Tag: Dementia Care
Articles dealing with caregiver tips for patients with various types of dementia.
How to Care for People with Dementia: The Importance of Patience, Compassion and Empathy
Caring for someone with dementia requires understanding and a heart full of compassion. This guide highlights the importance of patience and empathy and their profound impact on enhancing the lives of those with dementia.
How to Support a Dementia Patient Who Tries to Escape from a Memory Care Facility
Elopement is when a person with dementia leaves a safe area, like their home or care facility, without supervision. This can be intentional or unintentional, and it's important to address to ensure the safety of the patient. If your loved one is attempting to escape from a memory care facility, there are steps you can take to support both them and the facility.
Coping with a Loved One’s Placement in a Nursing Home: Supporting Patients with Dementia
This article will try to help you cope with this challenge. We will give you some information and advice on how to:
Prepare for the transition to a nursing home
Support your loved one during and after the move
Take care of yourself and your family.
Best Practices for Managing Hallucinations
Learn effective strategies for managing hallucinations in terminally ill patients. This guide covers pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods to improve comfort and quality of life.
Promoting Quality of Life in Dementia Through Doll Therapy
Doll therapy offers a compassionate approach to enhancing the quality of life for dementia patients. By providing comfort, reducing anxiety, and promoting social interaction, this non-pharmacological intervention can significantly improve emotional well-being and cognitive function in individuals with dementia.
Understanding and Caring for Loved Ones with Huntington’s Disease
This comprehensive guide offers a compassionate overview of Huntington's disease, a rare condition that affects the brain. Learn what to expect throughout the course, how to support your loved one's needs, manage your well-being as a caregiver, plan for the future, and access hospice care. Gain insights into providing compassionate care that maximizes quality of life.
Understanding Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH): A Guide for Families
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This can lead to various impairments in brain functions, such as thinking, memory, movement, and bladder control. NPH can also affect the quality of life, mood, and behavior of the person with NPH and their caregivers. The cause of NPH is often unknown, but it may be due to injury, bleeding, infection, brain tumor, or surgery on the brain. This article aims to provide a guide for families to understand NPH, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management, as well as how to cope with the challenges and uncertainties of living with NPH.
To Wake or Not to Wake: A Dilemma for Caregivers of Dementia Patients in the Final Stage
Caregivers of dementia patients in the final stage face a challenging dilemma: whether to wake their loved ones or let them sleep. This article explores the pros and cons of each approach, offering guidance on making this difficult decision while prioritizing comfort and dignity in end-of-life care.
Understanding Hospice Eligibility for Terminally Ill Patients with Non-Alzheimer’s Dementia
Navigating hospice eligibility for non-Alzheimer's dementia patients demands a personalized approach. Unlike Alzheimer's, there's no definitive scale, necessitating assessments of functional decline, mobility, communication, incontinence, weight loss, overall condition, and comorbidities. Effective documentation, clinical judgment, and compassionate care are crucial for supporting these patients and families.
Dementia Care for loved ones who are habitually restless
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be both rewarding and challenging. If your loved one has been restless throughout their life, this restlessness may continue as a symptom of their dementia. As an experienced hospice nurse, I understand the difficulties you may face in managing habitual restlessness while ensuring the safety and welfare of your loved one. In this article, I'll provide you with practical tips and evidence-based practices to create a calming environment for your loved one, even if they have trouble with fine motor control due to arthritis or other factors.
Caring for Your Loved One with Dementia: Promoting Quality of Life
Dementia gets worse over time, and as caregivers, we want to support our loved ones through every stage. In the severe stages of dementia, a person's body may begin to fail significantly. Here are seven ways to promote their quality of life during this challenging time.
Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide from Onset to End-of-Life
Discover essential guidance for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, from early symptoms to end-of-life care. Learn about communication strategies, safety measures, and self-care tips for caregivers. This comprehensive guide offers support and practical advice for navigating the challenges of Alzheimer's caregiving.
Understanding Limbic-Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE) and Caring for Your Loved One
LATE, a newly recognized form of dementia affects memory and behavior in older adults. Learn about its symptoms, diagnosis, and how it differs from Alzheimer's. Discover practical tips for caregivers to provide compassionate support and improve the quality of life for loved ones with LATE.
Helping Your Loved One Transition to Memory Care with Compassion
Memory care admission can be a challenging journey, especially when a family member is grappling with dementia. This transition demands logistical considerations and a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological aspects. As an experienced hospice nurse, I've encountered numerous families navigating this path, and here's a guide to compassionately help your loved one with dementia transition to a memory care unit.
Repositioning Dementia Patients Who Have Lost Trunk Control: A Guide for Caregivers
If you are a caregiver for someone with dementia who has lost trunk control, you may wonder how you can help them. Repositioning is one way you can help. Repositioning means moving or turning the person to a different position. It can help improve the person’s comfort, skin health, and blood flow. It can also prevent or treat pressure ulcers, contractures, falls, and infections.
In this article, we will share some tips for repositioning dementia patients who have lost trunk control. These tips are based on the latest research and best practices. We hope these tips will help you provide better care for your loved one.
How to Respond to a Dementia Patient Asking About a Deceased Family Member
When a dementia patient inquiries about a family member who has passed away but still believes them to be alive, it's essential to respond with empathy and understanding. Here are some tips on how to handle such situations with compassion and sensitivity:
Understanding Memory and Cognitive Testing for Dementia
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a challenging journey, filled with complex emotions and difficult decisions. As families and caregivers, it's crucial to understand the nature of dementia and the various tools available to help assess and manage the condition. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the seven most common memory tests used to evaluate if a person has dementia. These include the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE), Neuropsychological evaluation, and Short Test of Mental Status. Each of these tests offers unique insights into the cognitive abilities of an individual and can be instrumental in the early detection and management of dementia. By understanding these tests, you can better navigate the path of dementia care and ensure your loved one receives the best possible support.
Understanding Parkinson’s Disease: A Guide for Families
If you have a loved one diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, you may have many questions and concerns about what to expect and how to provide the best care possible. As an experienced hospice nurse with extensive experience in managing terminal illnesses, I am here to guide you through the journey of Parkinson's disease and offer compassionate support. In this article, we will explore Parkinson's disease, the changes your loved one may experience over time, and practical tips to care for them from the onset to the end-of-life phase.
Minimizing Dementia Progression in Loved Ones: Beyond Medications
Dementia is a progressive disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. While there is no cure for dementia, there are ways to minimize its progression and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. Here are some activities to do, activities to avoid, dietary changes to make, and activities to perform to minimize the progression of dementia.
Statins Increase the Risk of Dementia or Worsening Dementia
Pharmaceutical advertisements often highlight the benefits of a particular drug, including its ability to reduce the risk of various health conditions. However, the actual risk reduction these drugs provide may differ from what is portrayed in the advertisements. It is the opinion of the author that if cardiologists and other providers told their patients the absolute risk reduction of statins is 0.8% for all-cause mortality, 1.3% for myocardial infarction and 0.4% for stroke and the side effects of going on a statin include dementia, worsening dementia, confusion, muscle problems, such as aches, pains, weakness, muscle breakdown, falls, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, would you or anyone else ever agree to take a statin?
How to Use the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) to Determine Discomfort in Your Loved One with Dementia
If you have a loved one with dementia, it can be difficult to know if they are in pain or discomfort. The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) is a tool that can help you determine if your loved one is uncomfortable. The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) is different from other pain assessment tools for people with dementia in several ways:
Why Patients with Dementia Thrive in a Family Home Setting
As an experienced hospice registered nurse case manager specializing in compassionate end-of-life care, I've had the privilege of working closely with terminally ill patients, including those battling dementia. Through years of dedicated service, I've observed a significant difference in the well-being and quality of life of dementia patients in family home settings versus facility-based care. In this article, we'll explore why patients with dementia often experience better outcomes in the comfort of a family home.
Understanding Lewy Body Dementia: A Guide for Families
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is a complex and challenging condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. As a hospice nurse with years of experience, I understand the importance of providing families with clear and compassionate information about what to expect when a loved one is diagnosed with LBD. This article will discuss what LBD is, its common symptoms and progression, and practical tips for providing care and support throughout the journey, from onset until the end of life.
Understanding Functional Decline in the Natural Dying Process
Explore the journey of functional decline in the natural dying process. This article provides insight for caregivers and families, emphasizing the importance of documenting changes to enhance care and decision-making in life’s final chapter.