Facing Changes and Making Connections

Building meaningful and positive connections will benefit both you and your loved one during the caregiving journey. As a caregiver for someone with dementia, you will experience many moments that point out the cognitive changes taking place in your loved one’s mind. This can be difficult to watch.

Even though these cognitive changes are taking place, moments of meaningful connection with your loved one are still possible.

Below you will find strategies and considerations for building positive connections with your loved one. We hope you will incorporate some of them into your daily caregiving rhythm.

• Be strategic and use what you know. 
  Consider your loved one’s history and life experience, personal preferences and abilities.  Find ways to incorporate their strengths, likes and familiar things into your daily rhythm.
• Commit to a daily schedule.
  Routine and consistency can significantly reduce confusion and anxiety for someone with dementia and create more opportunities for positive interactions with a reduced stress level.
• Create a safe environment. 
  Making changes to your living environment can help prevent falls and ensure your loved one’s safety as their disease progresses.
• Communication is key.
  Communicating with someone experiencing cognitive changes can be challenging.  Using short sentences and simple words in addition to non-verbal cues – gestures, facial expressions and touch – can be tremendously helpful. It’s also important to be patient and allow extra time for your loved one to respond to you without rushing them.
• Encourage independence when possible.
  It may feel easier to take the lead on a variety of tasks, but it’s important to allow your loved one as much independence as is safely possible for as long as possible. There will be some daily activities that will need your full support, but with creative thinking, some can be broken down into smaller steps, which may allow opportunities for continued independence.