Tips On Visiting A Loved One Living With Dementia

A recent survey carried out by the Alzheimer’s Society showed that 42 per cent of the public thought that maintaining contact with someone living with dementia, who could no longer remember them, was pointless.

Have you struggled with the thought of visiting a loved one living with Dementia and been unsure whether to do so or not? Have you ever sat at your laptop and googled, ‘How to visit someone with dementia’ or ‘how often should you visit someone with dementia’, maybe you’ve even googled ‘Should I visit someone with dementia if they don’t know who I am’.

When you’ve got a loved one living with dementia, it can sometimes be hard to come to terms with it and the idea of a visit may be a daunting.

The Alzheimer’s Society carried out a survey on 300 people living with dementia and found that 64 per cent felt lonely and isolated from their friends and family. This can lead to feelings of isolation and cause patients to withdraw from society.  The survey found 54 per cent no longer socialise or participate in activities.

The Alzheimer’s Society urge people to maintain contact with loved ones living with dementia and remember that even if they can’t remember your visit, it will still reduce feelings of loneliness and bring them happiness.

To help you next time you visit your loved one, we’ve put together some tips and advice.

Tips to help when visiting a loved one with Dementia:

• Approach from the front and not from behind.
• Introduce yourself when you first greet them, ‘Hi Nan, I’m Liz your granddaughter.’
• Maintain eye contact.
• If you’re not recognised, as upsetting as that can be, try to stay smiling as it will reassure the person you’re visiting.
• Be patient and listen.
• Limit visitors to 1 – 2 people at a time, as you don’t want them to feel overwhelmed.
• Visit at a time of day you know they are usually at their best and not tired.
• Try to be positive and reassuring.
• Be prepared for them to make incorrect statements or to say something that’s unpleasant to hear. Never take it personally.
• It’s both normal and perfectly OK to feel a wide range of feelings during your visit.

Be aware you may hear some upsetting things from your loved one like, ‘I want to go home’ or ‘please take me with you’. The best way to react is to reassure them, be patient with them, and confirm their value as a person and as a member of your family or friend.

Whilst visiting we suggest you take things which may be familiar to them, like their favourite chocolate, play a card game, listen to familiar music or read them a book aloud.

If you know someone who is living with dementia, or you are living with the condition yourself please feel free to leave us your thoughts and comments below.

People with dementia have a greater propensity to fall over. The Camel Lifting Cushion allows a fallen person to be lifted safely, quickly and keeps associated stress to a minimum. This is because the user can keep their feet on the ground and they feel more secure.

If you’re interested in finding out further information regarding the Camel please click here.