Understanding Dementia and Helping Loved Ones Cope With It

It’s not about forgetting your car keys, it’s not about losing your way home, it’s not about forgetting your loved ones or their birthdays ー it’s about slowly losing yourself and your identity.

Dementia can be a slow, painful, confusing, and heart-wrenching experience. Patients, loved ones, and caregivers know and feel firsthand what the rest of us can only try to fathom.

Against this backdrop, let us learn more about what life is like for dementia sufferers, how you as a caregiver should respond, and when is it time to opt for a centre for dementia care living in Kolkata.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term for the loss of memory, cognition, reasoning, and critical thinking abilities of a person. In some cases, the person’s ability to emote and relate to other people may also alter considerably.

What Are the Causes of Dementia?

There are many underlying causes of dementia. Some causal factors include:

• Genetic factors
• Protein buildup in the brain (Lewy bodies, tau tangles, and beta-amyloid)
• Damage to blood vessels

The exact cause of this condition is unknown. Since this is a neurodegenerative disease, the prognosis for this condition isn’t positive.

How to Help Your Loved One Suffering from Dementia?

Once the dementia diagnosis has come in, things will need to change around the house. Your loved one may be in denial and you yourself may be emotionally raw. It’s time to understand that this situation is going to be a part of your new reality and you will have to deal with it maturely. Some tips to help your loved one who is coping with dementia are as follows:

1. Always maintain a calm and even tone when speaking to your loved one. Exude positivity as much as possible in the given situation.
2. Be sympathetic to your loved one’s new challenge. They may feel agitated, angry, upset and emotionally charged. If necessary seek therapy for the same and get them to calm down.
3. Do not forget to care for yourself. If the strain of caring for your loved one is too much for you or if you are unable to give them the required amount of care, opt for dementia care living in Kolkata.
4. Always keep to doctor’s appointments. Never skip medication, if any, and do not hesitate to contact your physician if you notice anything new.
5. If you are worried about your loved one getting lost, then ensure that there is 24×7 round-the-clock care for them.

These are some ways in which you can care for your loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia.

What To Do When Dementia Patients Get Aggressive?

In the latter stages of dementia, patients may develop behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia also known as BPSD. Symptoms of this may include agitation, aggression, delusions, and hallucinations.

It can get very distressing for the caregivers to witness scenes such as this, however, talk to your doctor and do as prescribed by them.

When Is It Time to Opt for Professional Care for Dementia?

Now comes an important question. When is it time for a caregiver to admit a patient to a centre for dementia care living in Kolkata? This is a decision that needs to be taken by the doctor and the family of the affected person.
If you feel caring for the patient is taking a toll on the health of the carer, or the carer is unable to give full attention to the patient, or the patient is getting violent as the disease progresses, it is time to seriously consider professional care at a centre.

Such centres have the requisite resources on their hands to take care of the patient. From round-the-clock medical help, nurses, doctors, and caregivers, they are equipped with the tools that a single person or family may not have.

The Final Word

Opting for dementia care living in Kolkata is a sensitive decision for you to make on behalf of your loved one. No matter how difficult the decision is, at some point in time, you may have to walk down this path.

It’s best to be aware and be practical about the decision, instead of feeling guilty about it.

One of the best places for assisted living in Kolkata is Jagriti Dham. It’s a senior living facility that offers care for Parkinson’s and dementia patients. Choose to admit your loved ones here as they will receive all-around holistic care.