3 Mistakes Caregivers Make in the 3 Stages of Dementia
Are you newer to caregiving or wondering if there are some pitfalls you may be falling into or will fall into that is making caregiving harder than it needs to be?
In this post, I am going to be sharing, a brief overview of what the stages of dementia are and the 3 mistakes caregivers tend to make in the 3 stages of dementia.
By the end of this post, you will know at least 1 communication strategy or activity that will help you get out of the pitfall and give you more peace in your life as a caregiver.
By the way, when you do get that win, comment it down below so we can celebrate you.
3 Stages of Dementia:
In the healthcare world, they label the 3 stages of dementia as mild, moderate and severe. I will share with you:
What you can expect with each stage
The common mistake caregivers make in each stage of dementia
Stage 1: Mild Cognitive Impairment
The first stage or mild stage of dementia is usually has these general traits:
Very mild memory loss
They start being more forgetful
They may misplace objects in weird places like putting their car keys in the freezer
The mistake most caregivers make with this stage is that they write off some of the unusual things as normal parts of aging.
The best thing you can do if you are suspecting that someone in your life has dementia is to keep a log of the unusual things you are noticing, encourage them to get it check out by a neurologist and do more of what you are likely doing now which is learning what to do and what to say just in case it does turn out to be dementia.
So, moral of the story is, if you notice your person being more forgetful and less with it, don't write it off. Trust you gut and gather information for the future.
Stage 2: Moderate Cognitive Impairment
The second stage or the moderate stage of dementia usually has these general traits:
Memory loss and other issues with thinking become noticeable
There is an increase in confusion
They have noticeable personality changes like they can sometimes get more angry, anxious or agitated
They may have difficulty managing basic things like hygiene
The mistake most caregiver make here is that they use logic, reason, evidence to combat the behaviors caused by dementia or they expect their person to do things like take in new information like someone who doesn't have dementia.
If you come at moderate stage dementia with those expectations, you are making caregiving much harder than it has to be. When your person starts showing challenging behaviors like agitation, anger or anxiety, 3 steps you can take are:
1. Listen to them 5 minutes longer than you think you need to so you can understand their needs and reality as they see it. They are not able to adjust to reality anymore so as a caregiver you need to adjust reality to meet their needs.
2.Once you have a sense of their needs and their reality, assure them that they are safe and that you'll take care of what they need, regardless of if this is actually possible.
3. Either get them what they need if you can or distract them with an activity or change of scenery to get their mind off the thing you can't get them like a dead relative for example.
Stage 3: Late or Severe Stage
The third stage or the severe stage of dementia usually has these general traits:
They struggle with communication
Difficulty swallowing or eating
Needs help with all basic tasks
Sleeps through most of the day
The mistakes caregivers make with this is assuming that their person with dementia can't connect with them or the outside world anymore.
While this is more of a challenge than before, things like familiar music and activities around their scenes like aromatherapy, putting lotion on their hands or brushing their hair are all ways you can still connect with the person. The truth is, once someone is no longer able to verbally communicate with us, we don't know what is left in their mind.
Moral of the story is that, even when they can't communicate with you, they are still in there. Connect with them and build memories that you can look back on once they have passed.
So there you have it, the 3 Mistakes Caregivers make during the 3 stages of dementia
Writing off early warning signs of dementia
Using logic and reason
Not doing anything with their late stage person
By
Trusting your gut and gathering information in the early stage
Listening and assuring them that they will be taken care of in the middle stages
and Continuing to engage with them in the late stages
You'll have an easier time through your journey as a caregiver and more memories to look back on when the journey is over. Try at least 1 of these 3 strategies and see if you can get yourself a win with your loved one or client.
If you do, make sure to comment that win down below and while your at it, join my facebook group and share it with our community as well by clicking the link below.
Join the Community
At Dementia Caregivers Success & Support Community, you will get:
Communication & activity ideas that prevent & calm challenging behaviors
Support and answers to questions that come up as a dementia caregiver
The most kind and amazing community of folks going through what you are
Discover How To Handle Challenging Dementia Behaviors... With Half The Effort!
Are you struggling and overwhelmed with being a caregiver?
If you're interested in making your life much easier by learning what to say & the activities to do that prevent and calm challenging behaviors, then you might be interested in joining our membership program.
Dementia Caregiving Made Easy is an easy to follow, guided path to handling challenging dementia behaviors at home or at work with half the effort.
For more information (and to join the waitlist), click the button below.
