Dementia Support Groups For Fear Of Memory Loss
Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable people become when you start talking about memory issues? It seems people will make many jokes about losing their memory; however most people that are truly having issues do many things to cover this up out of fear that there is something seriously wrong with them. As we age one of our greatest fears is being diagnosed with Alzheimer?s or dementia. Quite often a person that is suffering from one of these disorders appears to go down hill very quickly; however they may have been compensating for months or years, but then for some reason they are taken out of their surroundings and they seem to deteriorate overnight. The inability to adapt to new surrounding is when most people realize that the elderly person is confused. Also the death or absence of the person?s spouse can bring their disorder to light. It is not that grief is causing the person?s confusion but rather the fact that the spouse had been covering for them.
The fear of losing independence by admitting you get confused is what keeps many people quiet about declines in memory. This is unfortunate because there are some exercises that a person can do to slow the process of dementia. Also there are dementia support groups that people can attend so they do not feel so isolated and alone. The dementia support groups are for the person experiencing the dementia as well as their love ones. Sometimes the groups are held together and other times they are held separately depending upon the number of people involved and the location of the group. There are dementia support groups that are held at most nursing facilities as well as in hospital settings. The groups offer techniques that can be used to help a person with memory issues as well as new information regarding treatment techniques and medications. One of the main things that need to be done is to keep the person talking as well as reading newspapers and playing games that require reasoning skills as well as counting. Continuing to exercise the mind is crucial. This takes patience. If you are not able to let the person think and count for themselves; do not get involved in a game with them. By doing for them rather than letting the person figure things out for themselves, makes them feel worse and also removes their initiative to try. Gentle encouragement and minor cuing is the best way to help the person.
Reminiscing is also a healthy way to include the person with dementia in a conversation. Long term memories are easier to recall. The person with dementia may not be able to recall what they had for lunch an hour ago; however they will be able to talk about situations from their past. Encourage these conversations so that the person feels included and is also using their recall skills.
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