Wednesday, 07 April 2021

Daily Routine and Dementia Care Go Hand in Hand

When the mind is a bit muddled, following a daily routine and ensuring that activities and interactions are familiar, can go a long way to keeping a senior with dementia happy and calm.

Daily routine is even more important during the times of COVID when the senior might not be seeing the majority of their loved ones quite as regularly as before. Read on for information regarding why daily routine makes such a difference and how to structure a routine that works.

Why is a daily routine important for seniors with dementia?

Dementia has a strong impact on a person’s memory, which can make it challenging for them to do new things without experiencing a great sense of anxiety or confusion.

Routine activities act as a touchstone for them and provide comfort. This is because short-term memory is often the first thing to be affected following their diagnosis, while the memories of day-to-day habits tend to be the last to fade away. The repetition of following these engrained habits can help to keep seniors feeling oriented, focused, and peaceful.

Along with being beneficial for the seniors themselves, a daily routine can also make life easier for the caregiver. Seniors in the earlier stages of dementia shouldn’t have much problem following their regular routine and won’t usually require round-the-clock supervision, direction, or prompting until the disease has progressed further. However, when the senior becomes increasingly impaired over time, it is advisable to seek additional support in the form of a live-in caregiver who can adjust the routine as necessary to ensure optimal safety and tranquillity.

How to structure a routine

The key here is to keep the senior’s routine as similar to how they led their lives prior to their memory loss. It’s also recommended to separate the challenging or mundane tasks with fun activities that you know your loved one enjoys. For example, schedule some time spent sitting down reading the newspaper following the task of getting dressed, or watching their favourite television programme following the task of bathing.

Once you’ve set up a good routine, do your best to follow it every day with minimal disruption – unless, of course, the senior shows any signs of resistance. Don’t be phased if not everything goes according to plan every single day. Much of caring for a senior with dementia is rooted in trial and error. You’re doing an incredible job!

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