The festive season is usually associated with joy and good cheer, however it can be particularly stressful for people with dementia or memory loss which affects more than 400,000 Australians.
A leading community and aged care expert Tracey Silvester, Executive Manager at Envigor Home Care says “stressful and unpredictable situations are already unwelcome for a person with dementia or memory loss and Christmas adds a level of complexity that often puts a strain on the capacity of a person with dementia to manage their already challenging symptoms.”
Ms Silvester has some timely advice on how to support family members with dementia this Christmas and create happy memories for everyone.
Provide food that is easy to eat
A table full of food can be overwhelming for a person with dementia so access to a lot of snack and finger foods can be helpful particularly if the person has difficulty using cutlery.
Make the portions small and the food on the soft side
As some people with dementia have difficulty with swallowing or chewing their food provide smaller portions that do not require as much effort to eat and keep the texture of the food on the soft side.
If you don’t see the family member very often, check with their main carer about which foods to include and which to avoid.
Use social cues to ‘announce’ meal time has started
Orientation to time can become an issue for people with dementia, so starting the meal time by proposing a toast or saying grace might be a helpful cue to bring focus to the commencement of the meal.
Help the person get started with their meal
Depending on the level of a person’s cognitive decline, they may not recognise common table implements such as cutlery so putting the knife and fork in their hands may prompt them to use the utensils and encourage everyone else at the table to commence eating to help trigger a memory of the purpose of the utensils.
Pay attention to the light
Ageing impacts on our eyesight and additionally dementia can affect a person’s ability to distinguish shapes and light and dark so ensure there is adequate lighting and something as simple as using coloured crockery (especially red) can help the person with dementia distinguish between the tablecloth and plate.
Conversations – make them happen by keeping them simple
For people with dementia overly complex subjects coupled with the confusion associated with being in a room full of people can be distressing and short term memory issues can make conversation challenging.
Avoiding complicated words, using short sentences and not repeating things multiple times will give the person with dementia the time to process the initial topic of conversation.
Drawing on long-term memories is a way the person with dementia can meaningfully participate in a conversation and having old photos or videos available can help broaden the conversation.
Many people with dementia enjoy singing and there is a lot of evidence that music can relax people who are stressed so if holding a conversation proves challenging then a christmas carols sing along may be a good alternative.
Don’t underestimate the power of familiar surroundings
Being in unfamiliar surroundings can be distressing for people with dementia. So if you plan to have lunch at a restaurant or outside the home pack a bag with medication and a change of clothes in the event of any accidents ( to reduce embarrassment).
The person with dementia won’t have as much energy as they used to and coupled with the stress of seeing new people and new places, means they may tire easily. If possible, make a quiet rest space available for them as noise can be limiting to people with dementia.
Carers need a break too
Importantly don’t forget primary caregivers at Christmas which can be a time when carers can have a break as there is often family around who can assist.
