Helping a Loved One with Dementia During the Holiday Season

Dementia and Holiday Enjoyment

Our Resident RN Sharon Roth Maguire recently shared some wonderful gift-giving ideas for aging loved ones. In fact, one of her favorites is simply giving the gift of your presence. All of these tips would be great for anyone, but we wanted to also provide a few helpful considerations for those who have loved ones with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association offers some thoughtful ideas gift-giving and spending quality time that we felt could truly make for a memorable holiday season for everyone.

Build on past traditions and memories. Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia. Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums.

Involve the person in holiday preparation. If possible, invite him or her to help prepare food, wrap packages, decorate or set the table. This could be as simple as handing you the lights as you place them on the Christmas tree. Be careful with lights, though. Blinking lights may confuse or scare a person with dementia, and decorations that look like food could be mistaken as edible.

Encourage safe and useful gifts for the person with dementia. Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia. If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items the person with dementia needs or can easily enjoy. Ideas include an identification bracelet, comfortable clothing, audiotapes of favorite music, videos and photo albums.

Put respite care on your wish list. If friends or family ask what you want for a gift, suggest a gift certificate or something that will help you take care of yourself as you care for your loved one. This could be a cleaning or household chore service, an offer to provide respite care, or something that provides you with a bit of rest and relaxation.

Click here for more planning tips for spending the holiday season with a loved one with dementia. Or, for information about the care and support BrightStar Care can offer families this time of year and beyond, contact our local office.

BrightStar Home Care of Appleton and Waupaca area proudly provides medical staffing, skilled nursing and non-medical in home care for seniors and children, including a passion for elder care companionship and supportive services in Outagamie, Waupaca, and portions of Winnebago, Calumet and Brown counties.  We are very proud of our Joint Commission  Accreditation to provide you the highest quality of care in the Appleton, Fox Cities and Waupaca areas.

Ideas for Helping A Loved One in Appleton with Dementia Enjoy the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of fun, merriment, and lots of hustle and bustle activity. Along with the hustle and bustle, comes stress. Family time can be stressful, not having enough time in the day to get things done can be stressful, as well as the stress of making sure that everyone involved in the activities is having an enjoyable time.

Build on past traditions and memories. Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia. Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums.

Involve the person in holiday preparation. If possible, invite him or her to help prepare food, wrap packages, decorate or set the table. This could be as simple as handing you the lights as you place them on the Christmas tree. Be careful with lights, though. Blinking lights may confuse or scare a person with dementia, and decorations that look like food could be mistaken as edible.

Encourage safe and useful gifts for the person with dementia. Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia. If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items the person with dementia needs or can easily enjoy. Ideas include an identification bracelet, comfortable clothing, audiotapes of favorite music, videos and photo albums.

Put respite care on your wish list. If friends or family ask what you want for a gift, suggest a gift certificate or something that will help you take care of yourself as you care for your loved one. This could be a cleaning or household chore service, an offer to provide respite care, or something that provides you with a bit of rest and relaxation.

Click here for more planning tips for spending the holiday season with a loved one with dementia. Or, for information about the care and support BrightStar Care can offer families this time of year and beyond, contact our local office.

When Your  Senior Has Dementia And Doesn’t Want Medication

How To Convince Your  Senior With Dementia To Take Medication

Seniors with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia may take multiple medications. And because the risk of missing a dose or confusing pills is so high for these individuals, someone should oversee the process. But what happens when your loved one resists or refuses to take medication? This can happen for a variety of reasons – they don’t remember or understand why they need to take it, or they don’t want to take orders and feel like they’re not in control.
We never want to force someone to take a medication. It’s their home, and we want to honor their choice. But we also know some medications are critical to a person’s health. While we need to keep safety in mind, you can use these four strategies – and a little creativity and flexibility – to help your loved one feel more comfortable about taking their medication.
1. Find the best time of day. We all have a particular time of day when we’re at our best. Some people are grumpy in the morning and may not want to take medication right then. But they may be more alert and receptive to it later in the day. The time of day when someone has to take a medication isn’t always set in stone. One of the advantages of the home-care setting is the flexibility it offers to fit in with the individual’s routines. After you check with their doctor or pharmacist, try giving the individual medication when they’re most open to taking it. If needed, talk to their doctor and pharmacist again to adjust their medications. Then, make the new medication schedule part of their daily routine. People with dementia appreciate and respond well to repetition and structure.
2. Examine frequency, delivery method, and number of medications: After you’ve found a good time of day to give your loved one medication, take a close look at the number of medications they take, how often, and in what forms. If you’re frequently frustrated trying to administer medication, you may find there are options that make the process easier. Consult with your  senior loved one’s doctor and pharmacist about whether there are alternatives to a medication that can cut down the number of times they take it each day. For example, if they are prescribed a medication that needs to be taken four times a day, is there an equivalent that they can take twice a day? Often, there are options for how an individual takes a medication. If your loved one doesn’t like to swallow a pill, ask if the drug comes in other forms, such as a liquid or patch. You also may be able to crush up a pill and put it in a food such as applesauce or pudding. This can make taking it more tolerable. However, still be transparent about this and tell your loved one you are doing this. Also, not all pills should be crushed, so ask the doctor or pharmacist first. One note: Don’t spoil a food they love by mixing in a nasty, bitter medication. If they love ice cream, for example, don’t ruin it for them with a taste they hate. Keep a list of medications and periodically ask your loved one’s doctor and pharmacist to review it. You may find that a medication can be eliminated because it’s no longer necessary or another medication they’re taking does the same thing. Also, take a close look at the over-the-counter medications your loved one takes.
3. Make explanations simple: People with dementia may refuse to take medication if they don’t understand or have forgotten what a medication is for. If they ask about it, offer a simple explanation. Don’t over-explain things because it can potentially heighten the resistance.
4. Follow medication safety best practices: Not taking medication as directed can have serious health consequences. Managing a medication plan for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia may require more work at times than for individuals with other conditions. But don’t let basic medication safety fall through the cracks.
* Keep a list of all medications and review it with the doctor and pharmacist: They can assess the dosages and look for potentially dangerous interactions or duplication medications.
* Use a pill dispenser: Select a product that is meant to organize medications. Don’t use, for example, an egg carton. It’s not meant for that purpose. Our nurses and caregivers can offer suggestions for a pill dispenser if you need one. Also, set up pill reminders so you never miss a dose. This could be an alarm clock, phone service, or app.
* Store medicines properly: Some medications may require a special environment, such as refrigeration, but most do best in a cool, dry place. Don’t keep them in your bathroom cabinet, where it is often hot and humid. Also, take care to keep medications away from children, pets, and, if necessary, the person with dementia.