Caregiving for a loved one with dementia?

When you’re caregiving for a loved one with dementia, Primrose is there to support you. The effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can be devastating—not only for those living with cognitive loss, but also for the friends and family who are their caregivers.

In the early stages of the disease, caring for someone with dementia can be a loving and fulfilling experience. But as the disease progresses and they are increasingly less able to do things for themselves, caregiving becomes much more demanding. To compound the difficulty, people with dementia tend to become angry and aggressive. This can be overwhelming for caregivers, and studies show that it often leads to burnout, anxiety, depression and physical illness.

As a caregiver, there’s nothing selfish about valuing your own needs. In fact, when you do, you’ll be able to provide better care for your loved one.

You’re not alone—caregiver support from Silver Lace Memory Care by Primrose

Even when you’re caring for your loved one at home, you don’t have to manage this responsibility alone. Silver Lace Memory Care by Primrose can help.

Their support groups—open not just to families of residents but to anyone providing care or support to someone with dementia — are a wonderful way to share your experiences with others and get useful input from professionals for dealing with any difficulties you may be having.

Primrose also offers these essential self-care tips, which can really make a difference in your physical and emotional wellbeing:

• Make time every day for a physical activity you enjoy. Get outdoors to take a walk or do some gardening, go to the gym, play with a pet, or put on your favorite music and dance like no one’s watching.

• Be sure to eat well. When people are stressed, they tend to skip meals, eat on the go, grab junk food and sweets, and drink too much coffee. So, take time to sit down at the table and enjoy a pleasurable, healthy meal.

• Relaxation and sleep are also important. Establish a soothing bedtime routine so you can get a full night’s sleep. And take up a relaxing practice such as meditation or yoga. If you don’t have time to go to a class, there’s a wealth of free apps and videos online.

• Take care of your own health needs. Whether it be a doctor’s appointment, therapy or even a massage, your health is important, too.

When caregiving at home is no longer possible

The time may come when home care no longer works and you’ll need to make other arrangements. Rest assured this is not abandoning your loved one—it’s seeing that they get the best possible care.

At Silver Lace Memory Care by Primrose, the gold standard in memory care, residents live in spacious, beautiful apartments with warm homelike touches, specially designed for the needs of people with dementia.

The care at Silver Lace is person-centered, honoring each individual with respect and dignity. Staff is trained to see the world from the perspective of the person with dementia, and each resident’s preferences—emotional, spiritual and social—are respected.