Many devices on the market can help families overcome communication barriers and improve their loved ones' quality of life.
Mobile devices can display visual prompts with the touch of a button. This can let you easily show corresponding pictures to your loved one when you ask them how they're feeling and what types of food or activities they'd prefer that day.
You may wish to create a customized aid featuring items and foods from your home. By taking the pictures yourself, you can increase your loved one's ability to recognize items that are familiar to them.
Your handheld device can also become a powerhouse scheduler to help you balance caregiving duties. While many planners are available for download, you may want to consider a group app, such as Lotsa Helping Hands. It's created specifically for families. Its shared calendar lets your entire group track upcoming activities and volunteer to provide a ride to an appointment here in Loveland, CO.
Another excellent organizer is Medisafe, a medication management app. Two brothers designed it to help their father track his complicated medication schedule. Users can sign up for free to receive daily prompts, refill reminders and alerts regarding potential drug interactions.
Seniors with dementia often display repetitive behavior, including pulling on their clothes and wringing their hands. Fidget and sensory items can give them something engaging to handle, which can help ease restlessness.
These items come in a variety of designs, from blankets and aprons to boards. You may need to test a few types to see which your loved one prefers, but good things to look for include:
Getting the proper amount of nutrition is difficult for many seniors with dementia. High-contrast bowls and plates can help individuals distinguish between food and the dish. If your loved one can't see their food very well, they may incorrectly think they've eaten it all.
Despite being a simple change, the act of switching dinnerware to high-contrast colors has been proven by research to increase food and liquid intake significantly. Ergonomic utensils and cups are easier for seniors to grip and lift, and dishes with suction cup bottoms help prevent spills. These simple changes may reduce frustration and potentially improve your loved one's mood while eating.
Doctors have discovered that music is tied to parts of the brain that aren't commonly affected by dementia. For this reason, music-related memories may remain intact even when others have faded.
Music therapy is extremely effective in connecting with and calming an individual with dementia. Here at Bethesda Gardens in Loveland, we encourage families to listen to music from a senior's past with them and note which songs cause positive reactions.
Once you create a customized playlist, you can load it into a music player with simplified controls that your loved one may be able to operate independently, such as:
One of the most difficult aspects of memory impairment for many people is the loss of self-expression. As dementia progresses, it diminishes language and motor skills; however, there are ways for seniors with these challenges to engage in the arts.
Besides coloring with ergonomic crayons and markers, they may enjoy aqua art projects. True to its name, aqua art is pre-created artwork that's invisible until wet. The picture appears as your loved one paints with water and disappears again when the page is thoroughly dry, making it reusable. For ease of use, consider using an adaptive paintbrush or a hand grip cuff.
Walker Squawkers help older adults enjoy using their mobility aids by providing them with an interactive companion as they walk. Thanks to internal sensors, the robotic birds detect and respond to light, sound, touch and motion with lifelike chirps and whistles.
You can also press the tail to trigger one of six classic melodies, such as Take Me Out to the Ballgame and It Had to Be You.
Animal therapy offers a wealth of benefits for individuals with dementia, including reduced pain, agitation and depression. However, a live pet may not be the best option for you and your loved one.
Instead, you may wish to get a robotic dog or cat. While stuffed animals can provide tactile interest, a robotic companion can offer additional stimulation. The makers of Joy For All pets included soothing purrs and heartbeat sounds that may help calm agitation. The toys also move their paws and tails in realistic responses to petting.
