Caregiving During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has all of us dealing with additional stressors in life, and many of us may
find that our abilities to deal with conflict and issues are short-fused. People living with dementia (PLWD) rely on their care partners to provide assistance with activities of daily living with kindness and compassion. PLWD also require mental stimulation, socialization and a reason to live just as much as you and I do. COVID-19 has changed our world into a place where we no longer feel safe, and social distancing has left many people feeling lonely, depressed and isolated.

Dementia: Compassionate Communication

As a dementia educator, I am often asked why people living with dementia (PLWD) ask the same question over and over again. My reply is, “Because their brain is failing.” Every day, PLWDs are going through chemical and physical brain changes. Due to brain failure causing multiple problems with short-term memory, a PLWD can get themselves caught in a loop of asking the same questions. Here are some suggestions for the next time you recognize the start of another loop of questions.

Dementia Activity Ideas

Planning activities for a Person Living With Dementia (PLWD) isn’t easy. I’ve found it challenging to identify activities that peak and maintain the interest of a PLWD. The Positive Approach to Care philosophy states that PLWD need a balance of activities that include leisure, productivity, restoration and self-care.
There are variations of engagement for everyone in any GEMS® state of dementia. GEMS® is a dementia characteristic and ability model. Providing activities that the person is able to do mentally and physically is the key.

Redirection Using Humor

Do you know a Person Living With Dementia (PLWD) who repeatedly asks the same question? Does your loved one obsess about leaving the house so that they can go home? Maybe you know of a grandmother who blames everyone in sight for stealing her items. Challenging behaviors are common among PLWD and care partners are burning out trying to address these problems.

From a Patient’s Point of View

People living with dementia (PLWD) have challenges with verbal communication: language comprehension, speech production, and vocabulary. But they are not unconscious to what is going on around them. Even as the brain declines, emotional intelligence is preserved. PLWD take in data visually rather than auditorily and react to what they think is happening. As caregivers we must remember that PLWD are really doing the best they can with the abilities they have left.