Is Your Senior Mom or Dad Denying They Have Dementia?
"I do NOT have Alzheimer’s disease! There isn’t anything wrong with me!”
This is the response most family caregivers receive when they try to tell their senior mom or dad they have dementia.
If you’ve ever heard a senior loved one with dementia frustratingly express this you might have believed the person was just in denial and not willing to accept a difficult diagnosis. Yet, what if the person didn't know they had dementia?
A common condition called anosognosia affects 81% of people who have early Alzheimer's. Determining whether a person has anosognosia is difficult because they may simply be in denial of their illness. Realize that the senior, although short of awareness in one area, is not necessarily experiencing overall unawareness of his or her health status. Expect changes in the individual’s level of anosognosia, the level of awareness could shift over time.
How To Help People With Anosognosia in New Jersey, (NJ)
Arguing with people as you try to convince them that they have dementia doesn't do any good. A positive behavior always works out better when helping people with dementia. They will be more willing to accept your help and more willing to become involved in memory care and Alzheimer's therapies.
The following suggestions might help family caregivers better relate to their loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and Anosognosia:
Completely support the individual to speak about his or her emotions, feelings and thoughts at all times without having judgment.
Decide on what tasks that you can take on for them to help with their daily lives. Help clean the house, run errands or prepare meals. Always take over any tasks if the loved one is at risk of hurting themselves or others, such as driving them to doctor's appointments because the loved one forgets which car pedal is for the gas or for the brake or cooking meals because they forget to turn the burners off.
Create a daily routine for the loved one. This routine reinforces their memory skills and brings them at ease as they are familiar with doing the same thing at the same time every day.
Invite them to family gatherings and events, and show patience toward their memory loss and forgetful nature.
At Home Dementia Care Can Help
If your aging parent is suffering from Anosognosia disease, and other characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease, such as sundowning, wandering, and aggression, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting memory care at home for them .
Amorycare offers Different types Dementia care services in these towns in New Jersey (NJ):
Union County: Fanwood, Elizabeth, Summit, Berkeley Heights, Linden, Springfield, Vauxhall, Clark, Cranford, Garwood, Scotch Plains, Murray Hill, Union, Winfield, Mountainside, Westfield, Kenilworth, New Providence, Plainfield and Roselle, NJ.
Essex County: Livingston, Roseland, Essex Fells, West Orange, South Orange Short Hills, Millburn, Maplewood, Montclair, Verona, Cedar Grove, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley, West Caldwell, Fairfield, Irvington, Newark, East Orange
Morris County: Bernardsville, Boonton, Brookside, Budd lake, Butler, Califon, Cedar Knolls, Chatham, Chester, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Far Hills, Flanders, Florham Park, Gillette, Greenvillage, Hibernia, lronia, Kenvil, Lake Hopatcong, Landing, Ledgewood, Uncoln Park, Long Valley, Madison, Mendham, Millington, Montville, Morris Plains, Morristown, Mt. Arlington, Mt. Freedom, Mt. Tabor, Mountain Lakes, Netcong, New Vernon, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge, Parsippany, Pequannock, Piccatinny Arsenal, Pine Brook, Pompton Plains, Port Murray, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Schooley’s Mountain, Stirling, Succasuna, Towaco, Wharton, Whippany
