DCC Content Search: Providing Hands-on Care

For people who are used to taking care of their own personal hygiene, suggesting that they may need help with bathing can cause confusion, resistance, or refusal. Persons with advanced dementia may know that bathing was something they used to be able to do, but they may no longer be able to understand or perform it. They might not realize that they need to bathe. They might even insist that they are clean or that they have just had a bath. The actual process of taking a bath can be frightening as well – your loved one might react with fear to water, whether being submerged in a tub or being sprayed with a shower head.

Tasks, such as managing money, housekeeping, and cooking, sometimes called instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Many people with dementia will need help with tasks that are called "Instrumental Activities of Daily Living," or IADLs. IADLs are activities that we perform from day to day that add to our quality of life, but are not as basic to self-care as ADLs or activities of daily living. The following tasks are considered to be IADLs:

You may find that your loved ones have trouble going to the bathroom and using the toilet as their dementia progresses. At first, they may be able to make trips to the bathroom without any problems. However, in the later stages, they may need help remembering where the bathroom is, how to get to it, and even when and how to use the toilet.

Caregivers can do several things around the household to make it easier for a loved one with dementia to get to and to use the bathroom. Make sure that the bathroom and the toilet are:

Incontinence is a term used to describe loss of bladder or bowel control. People with incontinence may not be able to tell when they need to use the bathroom or may not be able to control urination or bowel movements.

One of the ways in which we stand out as individuals in the world is through our appearance. As your loved one's dementia progresses, self grooming tasks, such as caring for teeth, shaving, or even brushing hair can become more and more challenging for your loved one. He or she may even forget the function of a nail clipper, comb or toothbrush.

As an individual's dementia progresses, dressing and grooming can become more and more challenging. The person may wear inappropriate clothing, such as a sweater in the summer, or he or she may wear clothing inappropriately, such as wearing a shirt backwards. Eventually, your loved one may not know when to change clothes. You may also hear comments such as, "Which drawer are my socks in?" or "Where are my shoes?" as it becomes harder to find clothing.

For people with dementia, meal time can become a complicated and even frustrating event, especially as their memories and coordination deteriorate. Meals are important to not only satisfy hunger but also to provide an opportunity to slow down, be with others, and socialize. It is therefore important to understand how you can best help your loved one meet these needs according to his or her current capabilities.

Safety around the home becomes an issue for people with dementia. Taking preventive steps is important to avoid falls and other accidents as well as to prevent your loved one from wandering off.

In addition to maintaining healthy hygiene and nutrition, it is important that your loved one remain as active as possible, even as his or her dementia progresses. Daily activity and exercise are important for physical health, helping him or her to sleep better and to remain mobile. Such activity is also important to staying mentally healthy as well and plays an important role in helping individuals to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. Perhaps most important, exercise and activity provides time for meaningful interactions for your loved one doing something they can enjoy.

Throughout our lives, we interact with friends, family, and strangers on a daily basis. It is important that persons with dementia continue to have these sort of meaningful encounters, even as their disease progresses. While it is true that your loved one may have trouble retaining memories or remembering his or her own loved ones, he or she can still recognize the attention, feelings, and moods of others.