Dementia can be hard for many people to deal with, both for the people with the disease and their loved ones. Sometimes people don’t know how to act or communicate with people who are suffering from dementia. A recent study showed that 50% of people feared or felt apprehensive about helping or dealing with the illness. This suggests that people just don’t have the proper training or knowledge to successfully deal or help with the disorder.
The most important way to deal with a person with dementia is to be open with them, this helps establish a connection and allows trust to flourish. It might be hard but asking about their memory and being up front with them can help them think about their life and possibly come to terms with their illness. Letting them know that you care can go a long way in developing an understanding with the person in need. If the early signs of dementia seem to be developing the best thing to do is to try doing some games to stimulate the mind and keep it active.
Preventing the Problem
If you suspect that someone is showing the early signs of dementia there are regular activities that can be done to lower the chance of it developing further – it’s also good to do these activities even if no signs are seen.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise helps keep your body healthy and by exercising you release endorphins in your brain which helps to boost your memory, mood and energy that obviously helps keep the mind active.
Mental Activity
It might seem obvious but by keeping your mind active you can help fight off the progression of the disease and help increase your brain activity.
There are a variety of different activities people can do to enhance their brain’s activity. They learn a language, play puzzle games, memorise the cities of a country… It’s up to you as long as it interests you and it requires some thought.
Sleep
Getting eight hours can definitely help in the long run. Sleeping helps recharge our bodies and brains. If sleeping is sometimes hard for you why not try and associate it with relaxation? You could do some quick exercises, have a shower or bath to help you relax. It’s also best to stay away from laptop screens as LED screens can often prevent sleep and strain the eyes.
Social Interaction
Social interaction can help keep your mind active as other people can often help ‘keep you on your toes’. Interaction with other people helps you think about things you may never have thought of and expand your interests. Being with people can help you stay active both mentally and physically.
If you’re seeing the early signs of dementia make sure you see a doctor; they may suggest similar things. By doing dementia activities you can help your loved ones keep mentally active and therefore help fight off the grip of disease.
[box_light]This article was written by Ben Prince who writes for Active Minds, who specialise in Alzheimer and Dementia Activities.[/box_light]
Related articles
- Preventing Dementia in 2013 (calmyourbeans.wordpress.com)
- Release Of First Guidelines For Brain Amyloid Imaging In Alzheimer’s (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Engineering Students Create Therapy Devices for Dementia Patients (gantdaily.com)
- Heart Problems Tied to Early Signs of Dementia (webmd.com)
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