When Memory Fails: How to Help with Dementia at Home

Although dementia can be a challenging diagnosis to manage, it doesn’t need to be overwhelming with the right information and support. There are many ways you can give or receive the kind of care that allows for a longer, healthier, happier life even with memory issues. To meet these goals, we’ll discuss several ways you can make things easier and safer at home.

Common Dementia Symptoms

Dementia is a leading health concern for aging Americans. Chances are, you have had dementia touch your life personally, either by knowing someone with the diagnosis or maybe even through your own diagnosis. In the United States, 5 million people have a diagnosis of dementia, and this number is expected to double by 2060.1

The most common types of dementia diagnosed are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia- up to 90% of cases.2

Many symptoms are similar between the different types of dementia. Some common ones you may notice include:

Memory loss (especially short term memory)
Becoming disoriented to time and place (getting lost or forgetting the year, for example)
Mood and behavior changes (such as mood swings, and aggression)
Difficulty with doing everyday tasks (such as confusion with how to dress, or cook)
Difficulty with language (forgetting words, not being able to follow conversations)
Poor judgment, reasoning, or problem-solving skills (for example, going outdoors in shorts and no coat in the middle of winter)
Loss of ability to plan and organize (perhaps forgetting to pay bills, or losing important items more frequently)
Withdrawing from hobbies and social activities (such as sleeping more, or just sitting in front of the TV)
Hallucinations and paranoia (someone seeing things that aren’t there or believing they’re being tricked when they aren’t, for example)

How to Support Someone with Dementia

If you or your loved one has received a dementia diagnosis, there are ways to help. It starts with expert care from your doctor, which can include medications that can help decrease memory issues (at least for a while). But beyond that, you’ll want to know how to manage day-to-day life so you or your loved one can stay independent for as long as possible and maintain dignity and quality of life.

To do this, staying at home for as long as possible is often the first goal that comes to mind. One Johns Hopkins University study on dementia care at home found that this kind of care led to fewer unmet care needs and increased quality of life. 3

So what are some key steps to take when caring for someone with dementia at home?

1. Use memory tools

There are many simple tricks you can use to help someone remember important things. Just establishing a daily routine can help keep someone better on track. You can create a visual task list with pictures and hang it up, with each step of the day in order. Calendars with important reminders are helpful. A digital assistant can verbally alert someone that it’s time for a meal or to take medications. There are also pill keepers that alarm as a reminder to take medications. These types of tools can help with organization when memory is failing.

2. Focus on home safety

Making the home environment safer for someone with dementia is important. Wandering and confusion can lead to falls, so keeping the home free of clutter and trip hazards should be considered. Installing grab bars in bathrooms is a good idea, too. Consider door and window alarms in cases where worsening symptoms might lead to someone wandering outside of the home and getting lost. Cameras can help caregivers monitor for unsafe behavior while allowing someone to move around freely. Auto-shutoff appliances and timers or outlet devices can prevent things like stoves from being left on accidentally.

3. Provide visual cues

Extra visual reminders can go a long way in helping with daily activities. For example, labeling things can jog someone’s memory about where to put groceries on a shelf, or which door leads to a bathroom. You can label where common items are kept, too. Use pictures for silverware drawers, and for cabinets containing plates and bowls. Drawing pictures of place settings on a placemat might help with setting the table. Laying out clothes for the day makes choosing them easier.

4. Break down tasks and keep them simple

We don’t often think about all the little steps that can go into something that seems simple, like getting dressed. Dementia can make all these steps confusing. To help with this, breaking a large task into several smaller ones can help. Think about making a sandwich. Having the ingredients out and the bread on a plate keeps the task simpler. Then the steps can be directed one at a time: put mayonnaise on the bread, put the meat on the sandwich, and so on, all the way through sitting at the table with the sandwich, and eating the sandwich. Without reassurance and guidance, someone who is feeling confused may not be able to do the task. With it, they can do the parts they are still able to, stay more engaged, and feel accomplished.

5. Consider a care coordinator

Using a memory care coordinator or a nurse case manager to help you organize your care at home can make a big difference. They can review medications, daily activities, safety concerns, co-existing medical problems, and future needs. In the Johns Hopkins University’s “Maximizing Independence (MIND) at Home” trial which studied the use of care coordinators, dementia patients who had this service experienced significant benefits. They were much less likely to need to leave their homes, or to die, than those who didn’t have the services (30 percent versus 45.6 percent), and overall they stayed in their homes longer.4 You can ask your healthcare provider about care coordination. They may provide this service through their organization or can refer you to another organization that provides it, such as the Alzheimer’s Association.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

There are many ways to get help with everyday living. Meal delivery services, some of them covered by subsidies (such as Meals on Wheels), can reduce the need to plan or cook food. Groceries and other needed items can be ordered and delivered, too. Adult day centers provide social opportunities and entertainment in a safe and supervised setting. Home care services can offer assistance with many activities of daily living from companionship to meal prep and light housekeeping.

Living at Home With Dementia is Possible

As you can see, it is possible to stay at home and remain engaged in life despite a dementia diagnosis. This is an important part of dementia care, because involving a person in their care and decisions, and valuing the independence of being at home has a huge impact on quality of life. Also, keeping the home environment consistent, and familiar people present in a person’s life, can help with anxiety and confusion. Because of this, staying at home as long as possible is clearly a beneficial choice.

If you’d like to use home care services as an option to help you stay home longer and to provide a break for family caregivers, such as with respite care, Caresify’s professional caregivers are available to help you with a personalized plan of care. You can learn more about us on our website, or call 888-799-5007.

Providing personalized in-home care to seniors