Dementia changes a lot of what your senior has always known to be true about how her brain and her personality work. It causes other changes, too. Understanding some of the changes that dementia brings for your senior can help you to get her help that she needs. It can also help you to be more patient with her when she’s experiencing situations that she can’t stop of change.
Shortened Attention Span
Because your senior’s brain is working differently than it used to, she may have a much shorter attention span. She may find that it’s a lot easier to become distracted by things that wouldn’t have distracted her before. She may not be able to keep up with conversations as well as she did in the past, for example, and that can lead to misunderstandings.
Trouble Following Instructions
So much of life requires people to follow lists of instructions or at the very least steps that work together to build up an entire activity or process. Your senior might get lost in those steps now, though, even if she didn’t in the past. She might also find that she has trouble remembering steps that she has followed a million times before. Even the simplest activities can now be much more complicated and she might not understand why.
Communication Issues
Cognitive changes often lead to difficulty communicating. Your senior might have trouble processing information that she hears now or she might have a tough time speaking. Some people with dementia find that they eventually lose the ability to read and write, but some find that happens sooner than expected. Your senior’s situation will be unique, but it’s very likely that communication will become more difficult.
Increased Frustration
All of these changes and more can lead to an increase in frustration and even anger. Your senior may not even realize why she’s as frustrated as she is. It often ends up being your task as her family caregiver to learn how to help her to deal with these changes more easily. Working with elder care providers can help you to do this much more effectively. They’ve got experience helping people with dementia tackle their everyday tasks.
Talk with your elderly family member’s doctor about the changes she’s seeing because of dementia. There may be physical changes as well and they may impact her existing health issues. Your senior’s doctor can help you to prepare for those situations.
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Eden Prairie, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
