Tips to help loved ones with dementia

CHRISTMAS is a time for celebration and spending time with the family, but a break from routine and a room full of unfamiliar faces can be stressful for people living with Dementia.

Natalie Cooke at Helping Hands Cheltenham and Gloucester, recommends the below tips to make it simpler to cope during the festive season: - Reduce clutter on the Christmas dinner table - vision problems associated with dementia can make it difficult to spot objects on patterned surfaces.

·         Make your house dementia friendly - place signs on cupboards and on doors. Place plain rugs on patterned carpets or on shiny floors. A dementia toolkit including room cards can be requested from the Helping Hands website www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk/condition-led-care/dementia-care/dementia-tool-kit.

·         Make one room in the house a quiet room - the loud noise and hustle and bustle of Christmas can be agitating for a person with dementia.

·         Close the curtains as soon as it becomes dark - reflections in windows can be intimidating for those with dementia. Mirrors can also be taken down or covered up.

·         Try not to break from routine too much

·         bring reassuring items from your loved one’s home, such as a favourite mug

·         Allow more time for everything - it’s possible that after a few days away their own house will feel unfamiliar, so allow an afternoon to spend settling them back in and familiarising themselves with their surroundings.

SOURCE: Wilts and Gloucs Standard, Ann Yip