It’s time to talk about Dementia
Dementia doesn’t just impact the person living with the condition and their immediate carers; it also impacts their friends, family and wider social network.
This Dementia Action Week (21-27 September) we’re encouraging people in the community to reach out and reconnect to someone impacted by dementia. Visit the Dementia Action Week website.
Dementia Australia offers information, advice and support, no matter what your experience of dementia. Visit the Dementia Australia website.
Caring for a loved one with Dementia
The decision to move a loved one living with dementia into aged care can bring with it complex emotions.
Even though you may feel completely confident and have a sense of relief that it’s the right move for their health and wellbeing (and your own), many families grapple with a sense of guilt at making the decision.
On this page two of Carinity’s experts, Kathy Nicholls (General Manager Aged Care) and Heidi Wiebe (Executive Manager Aged Care), offer advice to dispel some of the myths of dementia and aged care and suggest some strategies to develop to help everyone adjust to the change.
Caring for a loved one living with dementia can be challenging. As a degenerative disease, it’s progression can often bring with it new and unexpected changes in symptoms and behaviour. One of the best ways to handle the transition process is to plan it out and take control of as much as possible, preferably in advance of a crisis arising.
For many families, changes forced by dementia symptoms or diagnosis are beyond what they’re able to safely manage at home. Residential aged care communities can provide essential care, community and safety, allowing family members to step back from the role of primary carer to simply enjoy their time together.
Planning Aged Care for people living with Dementia
Not everyone living with dementia will need residential aged care: this is important to keep in mind. However, Kathy suggests it’s important to plan for how your family will manage a decline in health before a crisis occurs. “Because dementia affects everyone differently, the best option might be residential aged care,” Kathy says. “For other people, receiving care from family, home care services and regular respite might be enough to allow to them to remain in their home.”
Carer burnout or carer fatigue is a serious issue that needs to considered when deciding how best to provide care for a loved one. Kathy notes that being a full-time carer is demanding. “Sometimes people can become so burdened in the care role that they’re not caring for themselves, which means they’re not caring well for the other person,” she says. “Sometimes respite is the difference between them being able to stay at home as it gives their carer a chance to recharge and care for themselves.”
Dementia Support Services
- Dementia Australia – this all-encompassing website details various channels of support
- Dementia Support Australia – 24/7 phone support
- Carers Queensland – offering hands-on support to carers
- Carinity Home Care & Residential Aged Care
Life Stories and Reminiscence
Carinity recommends preparing as much information about the individual’s life as possible before their health declines. This goes beyond the simple preferences but delves much deeper into the life and values of the person. It can also be helpful to share whether they’ve experienced any events in their life that could make aspects of aged care upsetting. Carinity’s model of care is designed to support meaningful ageing, and developing a deep, personal understanding of each resident is an important element in achieving this.
Life books or photo albums can be a wonderful activity in helping transition to aged care.
Kathy says life books or photo albums can be a wonderful activity in helping transition to aged care. “It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to connect with a resident by hearing about their life and looking through their books with them,” she says. “The books are more than just a resource – they’re also a powerful portal for family bonding and connectedness. Sitting together and reminiscing or viewing a photo album can be a really powerful way to connect with someone living with dementia.”
Making the transition to Aged Care
If residential aged care is the best decision for your family and the loved one affected by dementia, the next step is preparing for the move itself. Heidi explains that how you prepare will depend on your loved one’s personal situation. “Everyone’s an individual and the settling in process looks different for everyone. Our team focuses on supporting families to make the move as smooth as possible in whatever way we can,” says Heidi.
One way to help your loved one settle in more easily is to make their new room as homely and comfortable as possible. Everyone feels more secure and at home when they’re surrounded by their treasured possessions, and this is no different in aged care. “One thing that we know helps people settle into their new home is taking the time to personalise their suite as much as possible,” says Heidi.
We encourage everyone to personalise their suite with items that make feel at home – and feel at ease. This could include their quilt cover, beloved photographs, paintings and artworks, or their favourite outfits, books, or other sentimental items. For valuable items that can easily be misplaced, such as jewellery, having a replica can be a great way to have a sentimental item close by while still having peace of mind.
Visiting loved ones living with Dementia
In an aged care community, staff become your partners in providing care: a move into aged care can bring an opportunity to enjoy more quality time with a loved one. While you will still play a critical role in decisions around their care, we look after the day-to-day care tasks so you can spend your time simply being together, sharing old memories and creating new ones.
Heidi recommends giving each visit a purpose. “If you’ve always gone for a walk together, come for a visit and go for a walk together. It’s important to keep that point of connection.” Games, watching sport or engaging with a pet can also be helpful at giving a visit structure. For many people, ending the visit and leaving can be a challenge. Keeping things brief, with a quick goodbye and distraction from staff can be a good place to start.
“I always recommend calling back after you’ve left to see how your loved one, or whoever you visited, is going, particularly as they settle in,” Heidi recommends. “It can really put your mind at ease and help you work out what works best for them. Staff are always eager to work together to make life as easy as possible for the residents.”
This partnership approach to care is shared by everyone at Carinity. For all our residents, but particularly for those living with dementia, we routinely communicate and connect with family members to build a cohesive care team and to know the resident as an individual.
If you’d like to hear more about our approach to care at Carinity, you can get in touch with our team on 1300 109 109 or enquire today.
