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Click on the image below to download and print a brief self-reflection activity sheet. The purpose of this tool is to help you think about what you have learned and to provide a space for you to document some of your thoughts and ideas for moving forward.
Although each individual is unique, dementia has a profound effect on:
Some individuals find it challenging to remember to take care of their personal hygiene, such as bathing. At the same time, others may struggle with resisting showering or display complex behaviours that can be challenging for their caregivers.
Assisting with personal care and bathing is often the most difficult activity for care partners of people with dementia, and as the disease progresses, this can become increasingly challenging.
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Proper oral care is important to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Poor dental health will also affect an individual's ability and willingness to eat. It is wise to have a complete dental examination early in the disease. Ask the dentist to schedule appointments at times when there will be no delay at the office.
At home, the following tips might be helpful:
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Clean, well-groomed hair will make a person living with dementia look and feel better. It will likely help their care partner feel better too.
A salon or barbershop can be a familiar and relaxed setting. Make the stylist aware that the person has dementia. If the person feels insecure, you may want to stay with them or try to find a stylist to come into the home to cut or style hair.
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As a person ages, skin becomes more delicate and needs a little extra care beyond a wash. Creams or lotions can help the skin and may be necessary in the prevention of skin breakdown for those who are inactive. The application itself can also have a pleasantly soothing effect.
You can also get a basin of warm water and a washcloth and sit with the person to wash their face and hands. Have a towel ready to dry them as well.
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As people age, foot care is often neglected because they can no longer comfortably reach their feet and can no longer see to provide proper nail care. This task can be more of a challenge if the person has dementia.
The following suggestions may assist you:
And a little nail polish always brings about a smile!
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Our leisure experiences mean something important to each of us. Leisure allows us to continue to express who we are and what we value about ourselves by using our unique skills and abilities gained over our lifetimes. Leisure is about doing our own thing—whether that’s listening to music, going for a walk, or meditating.
Download and print the activity sheet below. Here, we identify and describe three common sets of challenges to engaging in meaningful leisure experiences: personal, social, and system challenges.
Review the list of 11 obstacles and circle the numbers for the challenges that you’ve experienced as a person living with dementia. Or that the person you are supporting may have experienced.
Source: Living and Celebrating Life through Leisure, Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program
After you read the activity sheet, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
Download and read the "Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure—By Us For Us Guide" to discover some helpful ideas for overcoming these obstacles.
Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure - By Us For Us Guide
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In this video, Occupational Therapist Sylvia Koreen shares some practical ideas and products to help with day-to-day activities. Learn how adaptations and considering a person’s strengths can help you find new ways of doing things
Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure - By Us For Us Guide
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Here we have a conversation with Occupational Therapist, Sylvia Koreen. Sylvia helps us to understand how dementia can affect the ability of a person to do day to day activities. She shares ideas to adapt to changing abilities for daily activities like bathing, dressing, mealtime, bathroom routines and leisure time.
After you watch the video, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
Communicating with people living with dementia
Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure - By Us For Us Guide
This session includes the following parts:
Part 1: Day to Day Activities
Part 2: Practical Approaches and Adaptations
Part 3: Meaningful Leisure Experiences: For the Person with Dementia
Part 4: Personal Care and Hygiene
Part 5: Questions for Reflection
Part 6: Questions Others Have Asked
Summary
Work through the various parts in the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar and type a specific question or topic to learn more.
Expressions of feelings and needs are always one way that a person communicates. At this stage of the disease, it is important for the care partner to think like a detective.
Reference: The PIECES Approach, U-First® Program, accessed 6 March 2024,
Dementia is much more than memory lapses. Your brain is responsible for many more functions. As you can see, there are different aspects that will influence the person living with dementia and how they react.
To understand more about how physical changes in the person might influence the brain, please visit the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
To understand how the brain changes of dementia affect the senses of the person living with dementia, access Talking Sense: Living with Sensory Changes and Dementia by Agnes Houston, diagnosed with young-onset dementia.
Watch the video below and listen to a conversation with Geriatric Psychology Nurse, Jeannine Chemello. Jeannine talks about the types of behaviors people living with dementia sometimes experience in the middle stage of the disease. She also discusses the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and how best to respond with a problem-solving approach.
After you watch the video, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
To connect with community supports and resources for assistance with issues related to behaviours that challenge you, scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
The Alzheimer Society in your community can provide educational resources to help you learn more about the disease, referrals to help you access the practical support you need, and one-on-one and group support to help you cope with the emotional impact of the disease.
Click on the location below to connect with the local Alzheimer Society Regional Office closest to you:
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Progression Series: Middle Stage
Decision-Making and Respecting Independence
This session includes the following parts:
Part 1: Middle Stage Dementia
Part 2: Learning to Balance
Part 3: Sources of Support
Part 4: Asking for Help
Part 5: Family Dynamics and Caregiving
Part 6: Don’t Get Knocked Off Course
Part 7: Questions for Reflection
Part 8: Questions Others Have Asked
Summary
Work through the various parts in the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar and type a specific question or topic to learn more.
Dementia is not a part of normal aging.
Almost 40 percent of people over the age of 65 experience some form of memory loss. When there is no underlying medical condition causing this memory loss, it is known as "age-associated memory impairment," which is considered a part of the normal aging process. Sometimes, it is called “age-related memory loss.”
However, dementia is different. Age-associated memory impairment and dementia can be told apart in a number of ways. In general, a memory problem may become a concern if it begins to affect your day-to-day living. Most older adults do not go on to develop dementia.
In the two videos below, Dr Jasneet Parmar, Care of the Elderly physician, explains the difference between normal age-related memory loss and dementia.
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After you watch the videos, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
What questions do you have about what you heard or saw during the video? Make a note and bring it forward during your next conversation with your healthcare provider, or contact your local Alzheimer Society via our toll-free number 1-866-950-5465 or by email: info@alzheimer.ab.ca.
