Dementia Care

For most people with moderate to advanced dementia, care and supervision are necessary to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Typically, people with dementia require round-the-clock care that involves assistance with routine activities such as eating and bathing. Aspects of dementia care may also include making the house safe, reducing stress, and providing mental stimulation that may slow the progression of symptoms. Caregivers should ensure that people with dementia do not drive.

 

An Overview of Dementia Care

People with moderate and advanced dementia typically need round-the-clock care and supervision to prevent them from harming themselves or others. They may also need assistance with daily activities such as eating, bathing, and dressing. Meeting these needs requires patience, understanding, and careful thought from the person's caregivers.
 
For people involved with dementia care, there are some important things to consider. These include such things as:
 
  • Making the home safe
  • Helping to reduce stressors
  • Providing mental stimulation.
 
Good dementia care always involves the issue of driving. One of the hardest things to do is to take away a person's independence that comes with driving. However, for a number of reasons that we will explain later, people with dementia should not drive.
 

Dementia Care and the Home

A typical home environment can present many dangers and obstacles to people with dementia, but simple changes can overcome many of these problems. For example, sharp knives, dangerous chemicals, tools, and other hazards should be removed or locked away. Other safety precautions include:
 
  • Installing bed and bathroom safety rails
  • Removing locks from bedroom and bathroom doors
  • Lowering the hot water temperature to 120°F (48.9°C) or less to reduce the risk of accidental scalding.
 
People with dementia should also wear some form of identification at all times in case they wander away or become lost. Caregivers can help prevent unsupervised wandering by adding locks or alarms to outside doors.
 
(Dementia Care Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD