Dementia is a progressive disease which is long standing and in the management of this disease, the large part of it should be dedicated to the necessary support for the affected person. It is your duty as a caregiver to be able to understand how these people with dementia are living their lives and make use of techniques to better serve these groups of clients. It is your goal as a caregiver to make sure that as you provide services for these people afflicted with the disease, you are able to maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life and this has always been the practice of Comfort and Care Health Services LLC. You can do so when you are knowledgeable about the disease process, as well as the different resources which you can tap and utilize for the benefit of the person with dementia.
The Previous Mistake
It was a common practice in the past to utilize carrot and stick technique to help people with dementia. But it has been found out that such is a counterproductive approach and it doesn’t help establish independence as well as improve the quality of life for the aged as what was found out by experts. Remember that these people have a disability in learning a new set of rules and tasks, and if you are going to offer rewards to get the necessary response from the client you are taking care of, then it could be a futile exercise because people with dementia have difficulty learning these new things. It is essentially just a frustrating thing to do for both you and your client. Also, it is best to understand that the behavior that is being exhibited by the person with dementia is often an uncontrolled one which may irritate you or even make you angry.
The Importance of a Positive Approach
When the disease is progressing, you need to understand that nonverbal cues are more understood by your clients over the verbal communication that you do. Your client will pay attention to how you speak your words, how your words are phrased, how you stand or wave your hands as you are talking about the content of your speech. Thus, it is best that you will have a sense of security and a nurturing attitude in the way you deliver what you are talking about. This is one of the methods practiced by a home health agency in Chillicothe Ohio. It is always essential that you will keep away from exhibiting behaviors which might be viewed as something negative, as it could be taken in the wrong context by your client.
It is your duty as a caregiver to make sure that you are always there to reassure and offer comfort to your client. You must always find meaning in their actions and ensure that you cultivate an environment where positive reinforcement for their actions is always done. Furthermore, bear in mind that behavior is also a method of communication for those with dementia; it could be the only way or possibly the easiest method that they could utilize to air out their unmet needs. That is why you have the duty to always figure out what their behaviors could actually mean.
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