The Deal With Dementia

HAPPY FAMILY DAY !

Millennial and Gen X caregivers , the baby boomers retiring and the economic impact this will have is a huge conversation in itself and I recommend getting your wheels turning about it , but this post is just to recognize the 10s of Millions of Young Caregivers across the world , putting their own lives on hold , giving up on their dream jobs , or financial independence to care for their loved ones .

I see you
You are absolutely incredible
You are selfless
You are human
and You are breakable, so take care of yourself the best way you can today.

You are a caregiver.
You know a caregiver.
You need a caregiver.

Delirium
*typically caused by an acute illness or drug toxicity
*sudden onset
*usually reversible with treatment
*there are fluctuations in emotions and alertness

Dementia
*typically caused by anatomic changes in the brain
*gradual progression
*not reversible
*apathy is more common

As dementia progresses, we can often lose our ability to communicate with language. 🗣
Visual cues 👀, facial expressions 😄, and our tone of voice 🎤 can be extremely effective ways of communication , especially when language is lost.

When communicating with our loved ones with dementia it is important we remember not to treat it like a test. ❎️

Rushing them through a question you have asked because you already know the answer.❎️

Asking them to recall information, you expect them to know. ❎️

Correcting or arguing with them will often just make communicating more challenging. ❎️