{"id":12490,"date":"2025-10-23T20:51:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12490"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:51:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:51:24","slug":"how-to-care-for-a-loved-one-who-has-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/how-to-care-for-a-loved-one-who-has-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Care for a Loved One Who Has Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12491 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1765599860-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Caring for a loved one with dementia comes with many emotional and physical challenges. Whether you are providing round-the-clock care at home, or visiting them at a homecare facility a couple or few times a week, understanding how to better care for a loved one with the condition can have a transformative effect on your relationship with them.<\/p>\n<p>Dementia is a general term that represents a group of diseases and illnesses that cause the loss of cognitive functioning to the point that it interferes with a person\u2019s daily life and activities.<\/p>\n<p>Cognitive changes they may experience include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Memory loss, usually noticed by someone else<\/li>\n<li>Problems communicating or finding words<\/li>\n<li>Trouble with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving<\/li>\n<li>Problems with reasoning or problem-solving<\/li>\n<li>Trouble performing complex tasks<\/li>\n<li>Trouble with planning and organizing<\/li>\n<li>Poor coordination and control of movements<\/li>\n<li>Confusion and disorientation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some people with dementia can\u2019t control their emotions, and they may also have psychological changes, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Personality changes<\/li>\n<li>Depression<\/li>\n<li>Anxiety<\/li>\n<li>Agitation<\/li>\n<li>Inappropriate behavior<\/li>\n<li>Hallucinations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dementia is caused by damage to your brain, affecting its nerve cells and destroying the brain\u2019s ability to communicate with its various areas. Dementia can also result from blocked blood flow to the brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain tissue dies.<\/p>\n<p>Progressive dementias get worse over time. Types of dementias that worsen and aren\u2019t reversible include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alzheimer\u2019s disease (the most common cause of dementia)<\/li>\n<li>Vascular dementia<\/li>\n<li>Lewy body dementia<\/li>\n<li>Frontotemporal dementia<\/li>\n<li>Mixed dementia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As your loved one may be experiencing changes in thinking, remembering, and reasoning in ways that affect their daily life and activities, they will need more help with simple, everyday tasks. Here are some ways you can care for a loved one to ensure they are provided with compassionate and effective support:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Establish a consistent daily routine that offers a sense of security for your loved one. Schedule their meals, medications, and activities at the same times each day. This can help reduce confusion and anxiety and make the caregiving process smoother.<\/li>\n<li>Communicate clearly and calmly with your loved one. This can be achieved by doing the following:\n<ul>\n<li>Using simple words and short sentences<\/li>\n<li>Maintaining eye contact and speaking slowly<\/li>\n<li>Being patient and giving them time to process and respond<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Making your loved one\u2019s environment dementia-friendly to ensure the home is safe and easy to navigate. You can do this by:\n<ul>\n<li>Removing tripping hazards<\/li>\n<li>Labeling drawers and rooms with words and pictures<\/li>\n<li>Using night lights to reduce nighttime disorientation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Encourage their independence and dignity by allowing them to do as much as they can on their own, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and offering gentle guidance when needed<\/li>\n<li>Avoid arguing and correcting a misstatement or memory error. Use validation therapy by acknowledging their feelings and redirecting the conversation gently, as this can reduce their agitation<\/li>\n<li>Engage in meaningful activities that stimulate the mind and body, which can boost their mood and cognitive function. These activities can include:\n<ul>\n<li>Listening to music<\/li>\n<li>Looking at old photos<\/li>\n<li>Simple puzzles and crafts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Watch for signs of discomfort as individuals with dementia may not always clearly express their pain or discomfort. Watch for non-verbal cues, such as restlessness, facial expressions, or changes in behavior<\/li>\n<li>Take care of yourself. As a caregiver of a loved one with dementia, burnout is common. Prioritize your own health by taking breaks, seeking emotional support, and joining caregiver support groups<\/li>\n<li>Plan for your loved one\u2019s future by making early decisions about legal documents, long-term care options, and financial planning<\/li>\n<li>Use assistive technology and tools such as reminder clocks, GPS trackers, and medication dispensers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your loved one is experiencing any of these dementia symptoms, you can schedule an appointment with a neurologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/clinical-services\/ambulatory-care\/\">Ambulatory Care Center<\/a> by calling (718) 206-7001. If they are experiencing an emergency, call 911.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Caring for a loved one with dementia comes with many emotional and physical challenges. Whether you are providing round-the-clock care at home, or visiting them at a homecare facility a couple or few times a week, understanding how to better &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/how-to-care-for-a-loved-one-who-has-dementia\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1,61,63,399,4],"tags":[2173,2244,2231],"class_list":["post-12490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-health","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-neurological-disorder","category-womens-health","tag-dementia","tag-how-to-take-care-of-a-loved-one-who-has-dementia","tag-neurological-disorder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12490"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12492,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12490\/revisions\/12492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}