Unfortunately, there are millions of elderly adults that have dementia. If you are helping to take care of your elderly loved one, there might come a time that you think they have dementia. If this is the case, it is important to know what signs mean that you should have them assessed by a doctor.
Talking to Your Elderly Loved One
If you have noticed recently that your elderly loved one is becoming more and more forgetful, they could have dementia. While this is not the only sign of dementia, it is one of the most common. If you think this memory loss means that your elderly loved one has dementia, it is time to have a talk with them. However, this conversation could become difficult and your elderly loved one may be put off by you saying you think they have this condition. It is important to talk to them in a calm way, so they know you are trying to be understanding.
Asking the Right Questions
If you are trying to determine whether your elderly loved one has dementia, you are going to need to ask all the right questions. You will need to ask your elderly loved one whether they think their memory loss is normal or if they think something is going on. You will need to ask them what other symptoms they might be having. Be calm and understanding with every question you ask and every answer they give. If you talk to your elderly loved one and it seems they do, in fact, have dementia, you should suggest they get an evaluation by their doctor.
Prepare Yourself
It is possible that your elderly loved one will resist your attempts to talk to them about a possible dementia diagnosis. With this being said, you can expect that your elderly loved one might become angry, scared, or irritated with you. They may try to flip the script and blame you for things that are going on in their life. Just try to keep calm and maybe come back to talk to them at a different point.
Talk at the Right Times
If it seems that your elderly loved one is having a bad day, this would not be a good time to talk to them about your thoughts regarding dementia. You will want to wait until they are having a decent or better day. For instance, if they have already forgotten multiple things in one day, you should probably wait to talk to them. However, you don’t want to wait until they are having a day with no symptoms or they may be more willing to just push you off, saying they don’t have any dementia symptoms.
If you think that your elderly loved one has dementia, it is important to talk to them. Just remember that this talk might not be easy. You need to be calm, patient, and understanding when having this discussion with your elderly loved one. If they do decide to get evaluated and do get a dementia diagnosis, you can hire caregivers to come help care for them in their home.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering a Caregiver in Madison, WI please contact the caring staff at Agape Senior Services Madison today. (608) 841-1004
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-caregiving-changes-communication-skills
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/dementia-signs-symptoms-recognise-what-to-do
