Dementia is extremely common these days, but there’s still a feeling that your senior may be able to dodge that illness. If your aging family member is diagnosed with dementia, you may wonder what solutions are available for her. From medications to memory care, there is a lot that can help your elderly family member to have the best possible experience for as long as she can. Understanding what to expect from the various stages of dementia can help quite a lot.
The Early Stages May Not Seem Much Different
There are almost always symptoms, like memory loss, that cause your elderly family member to get diagnosed with dementia. But in the earliest stages of the disease, your senior’s life may not be as different as she expects. There may be easy solutions to some of her initial problems and her doctor may prescribe medication that helps to slow progression down in the early stages. Your elderly family member may still be doing things like driving, for instance.
As Dementia Progresses, Your Senior May Have More Difficulty
Because dementia is a progressive illness, your senior will eventually move into the middle stages of the disease. There may be some additional problems with her memory. Your senior may also notice other changes happening, such as differences in her vision or greater difficulty making choices or solving problems. She may need to stop driving or have extra help with certain tasks. These changes can be upsetting for your senior, even when she doesn’t seem to be aware of what’s going on around her.
Later Stages of Dementia Bring a Lot of Changes
When your elderly family member reaches the later stages of dementia, she’s very likely to have experienced a lot of changes. She may adopt repetitive behaviors that don’t always make sense, for instance, or she may start to wander. Eventually she may have a lot more difficulty recognizing friends and family members, talking, and engaging in normal daily activities.
Finding Solutions and Care Might Be Easier than You Think
What matters the most throughout this process is that you are able to find solutions that help your elderly family member to have the best experience possible, no matter what challenges she’s facing. Spending time at an adult day center can make a lot of sense for your elderly family member at all stages of dementia. Later, memory care may be exactly what she needs on a regular basis. Having routines that support your elderly family member’s needs allows her to have the best results, even when she’s not able to communicate that to you and to other people she loves.
Ultimately, keeping your senior as comfortable as you can is so important when she’s been diagnosed with dementia. Memory care services are an important tool in keeping your senior safe and healthy while also keeping her brain as engaged as possible. Having the help that you both need ensures that you’re able to keep being there for her no matter what the challenges are.
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