Supporting someone with dementia

When someone you care about is diagnosed with dementia it can be a hard piece of news to deal with. The diagnosis may not be completely unexpected, but it can still be difficult.

“It’s not only people who are living with dementia that are affected, but also families, friends and loved ones.”

Giving your friends and family bad news is difficult and everyone reacts differently and often unpredictably. But they can’t give you the support you will need unless you tell them what’s going on.

Adjusting

It’s totally normal to feel a whole range of emotions after a family/whānau member has been diagnosed with dementia. Living with dementia is a big adjustment and sometimes it’s hard to know how you ‘should’ be feeling so don’t deny your feelings. It’s ok to cry, it’s ok to laugh. Share your feelings, do something that makes you feel good and ask for help.

Supporting someone with dementia often isn’t easy.

Burnout occurs when a carer experiences ongoing physical, mental and emotional exhaustion caused by the unrelieved high stress levels of their caregiving role. It can become a debilitating condition. By the time a caregiver realises they are on the road to burnout, they are likely to already be experiencing a range of its symptoms. The good news is that with proactive, daily self-care, burnout can be prevented or turned

around. Finding support

The GP who is looking after your family/whānau member should give you advice and support, explain things so you can understand them and answer your questions. Although it’s your family/whānau member who has been diagnosed with dementia, you will very likely be present at their doctors’ visits and will need to understand what is happening to

them.

Your local Alzheimers organisation provides a range of services to support and guide people and their families following a diagnosis of any form of dementia.

Alzheimers New Zealand also produces a booklet - Supporting a person with dementia - a guide for family/whānau and friends. This booklet provides information and tips on helping a person with dementia with their personal care, such as washing and dressing, nutrition, sleeping and travelling, as well as communication and ideas for meaningful activities and ways you can look after yourself.

Carers NZ can help you to know your rights and entitlements and also offer support. See carers.net.nz, phone 0800 777 797 or email centre@ carers.net.nz for advice.

If you are a support person for someone with young onset dementia (under 65), the Younger Onset Dementia Aotearoa Trust (YODAT) runs monthly online meetings facilitated by a registered Mental Health Nurse. For more information, contact yodatonlinegroups@gmail. com

Source: https://alzheimers.org.nz/getsupport/supporting-someone-withdementia/; https://carers.net.nz/