Six things to keep in mind as a caregiver for patients with dementia.

  • Seek help – remember as caregivers you too are human and can feel great amount of responsibility and this can often be overwhelming. At such times you can always seek comfort at support group event organized EHA and opt for hobbies.
  • Be patient – while dealing with your loved one remember to be patient at all times, as due to the impairment they are taking small steps every day towards recovery. Try not to give up on them, keep supporting and have faith in the process of healing that takes time.
  • Appreciate their small milestones – make sure to compliment genuinely at their small achievements and artwork which they create. The art can often seem unpleasing or messy to look at sometimes but remember to notice the emotion/ feeling or thought attached to it rather than the product. 
  • Spend time – try to spend some minutes with them talking or sitting beside them or reading a book or engaging in a board game which they might enjoy.
  • Keep an open mind – be open to the possibility that every day and even every hour won’t be same or constant, there will be fluctuations in mood and skills, and there will be happy and sad days. Similarly, each therapy session will be different from the last one, some will be overwhelming while some might be neutral or underwhelming, some positive and some negative.
  • Remind them every day that you love them – and the last and most important one, to love them and cherish their presence every day because we are just catalyst in this process and your love towards them is the merrier healer.