One of the difficulties experienced by people with dementia is their inability to remember things: appointments, names, where they’ve put things. These are all minor problems, but can cause embarrassment when they can’t remember some important detail about a significant person in their life or they waste time looking for things which have been left in some unusual place.
Needless to say, this can make life difficult for them and for friends and carers too. It can help to have designated places to keep things and to remind the person with dementia to put things away in the proper place, or, better still to help them put things away. Simple reminders about names, appointments etc, (preferably without a roll of the eyes!) are best.
One problem that is much more difficult for carers and friends to cope with is the person with dementia’s apparent lack of empathy. You might be doing your darndest to get them ready to keep an appointment at the hospital or somewhere and all they can do is rant on about some matter that is clearly important to them but totally irrelevant as far as the carer can see. This can feel like a very personal attack but it’s important to remember that it’s not. Like memory loss, it’s a symptom of the disease not the person’s true feelings so it’s best to try to remember that and treat the person as you did before they became ill.
If you care for someone with dementia or you have a diagnosis yourself, or if you want to know more and you think the Wednesday Group might be helpful, do get in touch. Contact Jan on 01777 709974 or 07969 180067 or email janwilliamson133@gmail.com for the latest on what they are doing and current availability. Unfortunately, they have a short waiting list at present but It’s worth contacting the group; you never know when a vacancy might arise. It’s £10.00 per session which includes lunch, and, your first visit is free!