Dementia Care Chapel Hill: Redirecting an Individual with Memory Loss

By Todd Palmer
Dementia Care Chapel Hill - Memory loss is something that naturally occurs as people age. Whether your senior has the mild memory loss that stems from the aging process or is afflicted with dementia, the inability to remember certain events or details can be extremely frustrating. As such, it is important that you, as your senior's caregiver, are able to recognize when your elderly loved one is involved in a confrontation due to their memory loss. The home care professionals of Always Best Care in Durham, North Carolina, have provided the following tips to assist you in reducing the stress of the situation and helping to alleviate the anger involved in this particular circumstance.

1. Make an effort to remove your senior from the situation. If they are engaged in a confrontation with you, concede the argument and walk away; if they are fighting with another person, discretely let the individual know that memory loss is causing the confrontation and encourage them to stand  down. If necessary, you may need to physically remove your senior from the room in order to redirect their attention to another topic.

1. Try not to make it seem as though it is your senior's fault. While they may be causing the confrontation because they do not remember a certain detail, it is important not to place blame on your elderly loved one. Instead, remain as positive as possible when extricating them from the situation.

1. Gently reminding your loved one about the events that have taken place may help in redirecting them, depending on the type of memory loss they are experiencing and the severity of their condition. In some cases, going over certain details or looking at family pictures can help to end confrontation and remind your senior about the information over which they are fighting.

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Memory loss is, quite honestly, a very scary thing to experience. As such, your senior may feel frustrated, insecure, or uncomfortable when they cannot remember certain details. The key to keeping them from continuing to carry on a confrontation is to stop the argument and either explain the situation to your senior or, if they have severe memory loss, move on to a new topic of conversation.

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If you are interested in learning more about Alzheimer's, dementia and elder care, contact Todd Palmer and the professionals at Always Best Care of Chapel Hill and Durham at (919) 357-1440 visit their website.