Agitation is amongst the more challenging effects of dementia, and can be extremely hard for family members to handle. The key is in taking steps to deal with agitation before it is felt and conveyed by the senior, which involves keeping track of what has initiated these feelings in the past, and establishing a home environment where those triggers are eliminated or reduced. These guidelines from our Windsor-Essex dementia care team can help:
- Designate a place of retreat. When life begins to get stressful, having a specially created spot for the senior to go to de-stress can work wonders in restoring calm. This might be a specific room, or perhaps a comfy corner with several soothing activities readily available, quiet music, a soothing scent to enjoy like lavender or vanilla – whatever offers peace and relaxation for the older adult.
- Assess the house for distressing objects. Focus on exactly what your senior loved one is sensitive to, such as specific decorations, mirrors (which can give the illusion of someone else watching), window coverings that may not adequately filter out the darkening evening sky (prompting sundowning issues), etc.
- Decrease noise along with other distractions. Soft carpeting is frequently more comforting for those with dementia than harder floor materials that could reverberate or accentuate the sound of footsteps. Keep the TV or radio at a reasonable volume, and set to a station that offers soft music instead of alarming, graphic news programs. Close windows if outside noises seem to lead to annoyance.
- Adjust lighting. Make sure each room the individual may enter is well lit, with natural light whenever feasible, or higher wattage lightbulbs, carefully adjusting to eliminate any unusual shapes or shadows created by the light.
- Keep commonly used items easily accessible. Whatever the senior tends to want to make use of or hold most frequently ought to be put into a visible location where he or she can discover it easily. Attaching labels with words or pictures of what a senior loved one may want to locate in cabinets or the refrigerator can be a great way to help prevent irritation.
Let Amy’s Helping Hands’ professional Windsor-Essex dementia care experts help create the most calming and peaceful environment for an older adult you love, and provide the skilled, creative, compassionate care that makes life the best it can be. A few of the various ways we can enhance life for those with dementia include:
- Specifically created activities based around a senior’s particular interests and abilities
- Companionship in order to help older adults stay socially engaged
- Evening respite care to allow family caregivers the chance for a restful night when a senior is challenged by sundowning
- And so much more
Contact us online or call us at 519.915.4370 to request an in-home consultation and also to find out about our top-rated dementia care for older adults today!
