Adjusting Daily Routines to Accommodate Dementia Care

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Coping with the death of a family member

Allow Yourself to Grieve

One of the most important things you can do when faced with the death of a loved one is to allow yourself to grieve. You may experience shock, anger, sadness, and can even feel lost or helpless. This is normal, but it is necessary to express these feelings because keeping them in will only lessen your ability to cope.

Talk to your family and friends about what you are feeling. It is likely that they are feeling the same emotions as you and talking about it will help you cope and find closure. Talking about your loved one after their death is also a great way to honor their memory and help you appreciate the moments you had with them. There are other ways to honor them as well, including donating to their favorite charities, planting a tree in their memory, or spending time with family to share stories and reminisce with photos of fun times. These kinds of activities, while they may seem difficult, will help you find closure and acceptance.

When you experience the death of a family member, you will be filled with many emotions and may also be required to do things like make funeral arrangements or work with their estate planners to carry out their final will. During this time, it is imperative that you take care of yourself and not neglect your needs – eat well, get plenty of rest, and try to continue doing the things that bring you joy. Whether this is exercise or spending time with friends, this will help you cope and keep a level head while dealing with other responsibilities.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

When people are diagnosed with dementia, they tend to fear the inevitable loss of independence and control more than anything else. That is why it is so important to learn how to adjust daily routines, tend to emotions, and accommodate your loved one’s dementia care. If you’re caring for a person who has been diagnosed with dementia, a daily routine is what you need. 

You may need to adjust routines as time goes by.

Tips for Developing a Daily Routine

Let’s take a look at some of the helpful tips and strategies for developing and adjusting daily routines when providing your loved one with dementia care.

Tailor Routines

If you think it is hard for you, it is even harder for your loved one. Make sure you tailor routines to your loved one’s preferences to ensure that they maintain a good level of happiness and comfort. For example, if they always brush their teeth before breakfast or eat dessert after dinner, maintain that.

Stay Flexible

Make sure that you stay flexible. As dementia progresses, your loved one’s abilities will change. It is important to adjust routines to make sure your loved one stays in touch without having to deal with the stress that comes along with change. 

Remember, patience is key and will help them develop or reinforce a sense of independence and accomplishment.

Let Them Help

It is very important to let the person dealing with dementia stay involved within the household. Allow them to complete tasks such as folding laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming to help them maintain motor and cognitive skills. Even if they don’t do it well, let them do it without correction.

Then, make sure you pass down your praise to them.

Include Physical Exercise

Make sure your loved one still gets out and about. This could be as simple as a two-minute walk or some yoga. You will both benefit from some physical exercise.

Allow Music into Their Day

Music has great benefits for people dealing with dementia. Listening to music can evoke emotion and bring memories back to life. Dancing to music is also a great way to get your loved one up and moving to the beat. 

Caring for your loved one is always the preferred option. However, sometimes it becomes unsafe for both of you when dementia takes its toll. If the person with dementia begins to have issues such as falling, wandering off, or becoming lost, you may need to speak to a hospice care facility such as Westlake Village Hospice.

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Westlake Village Hospice, Inc provides home hospice care for patients in Los Angeles, Arleta, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Burbank, Chatsworth, Encino, Glendale, Glenoaks, Granada HIlls, Hansen Hills, Hidden Hills, La Crescenta, Lake Balboa, Lake View Terrace, MIssion Hills, North Hills, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pacoima, Panorama City, Porter Ranch, Reseda, San Fernando, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Sun Valley, Sunland, Studio City, Sylmar, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks, Toluca Lake, Toluca Terrace, Tujunga, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Vergudo, West Hills, West Toluca Lake, Winnetka, Woodland Hills, Ventura County, Antelope Valley, and the San Fernando Valley.
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