When a parent is first diagnosed with dementia, it is understandably an incredibly emotional time, both for you and your parents, and there is so much information online talking about how to cope in those first few months.
However, whether your parent is still living comfortably at home and is enrolled in an at-home scheme or else has moved to a care home, in the later stages of dementia, it can become substantially harder to connect.
So, with that being said, continue reading to learn of four ways to bond with your parent who has dementia.
1. Communication & Conversation
Naturally, just as in every other area of life, every individual is entirely different, and this certainly relates to how dementia will affect your parent, especially as the illness progresses.
When communicating with your parent, be sure to remember the following guidelines:
- Always be calm and considered in everything you say
- Avoid asking questions and instead enter into a discussion on a topic
- Never, under any circumstances, raise your voice
- Try and use simple sentences with plenty of gaps in-between
- Never speak as if they are not there in the room with you
2. Help Them to Socialize with Other Residents
When older adult who is living with dementia resides in a dementia care home in Bury St Edmunds, they are afforded the freedom to do everything they want to do, as long as they want to do it and how they do it is safe.
Naturally, you will know your parents intimately and, as such, will be able to sense if they are comfortable or not during a conversation, activity, or situation, so encouraging them to bond and socialize with the other residents should be a process they undertake at their own pace.
3. Take Care of Your Own Emotional Health
Thirdly, in the same way, that in the event of an airplane crash, you are always advised to fix your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else, you cannot possibly hope to cultivate a strong bond with your parent if you are not taking care of yourself.
In order to be calm and patient, you first need to make sure you are dealing with your own emotions and feelings and finding enough time in the day for you to take care of other responsibilities.
4. Speak to the Professionals
Finally, if you do have any concerns or queries and have already tried to approach the subject with your parent only to be met with confusion or denial, it is entirely acceptable to talk with the caregivers and medical staff around your parent and ask for advice.
Often, as emotions are high, it is entirely normal if you overreact to a small situation and worry that your parent is in a fast decline when in reality, their behavior is to be expected and nothing to worry about.
Speaking to professionals will help keep your worries in perspective and hopefully be multi-beneficial to both you and your parents.
