Caring for beloved with dementia

-

It can be stressful to care for dementia patient, especially when you don't know what to expect of their disease progression and how to tackle the problems that their change in behavior brings. 

Dementia is a disease of regression of the whole being - from declining cognitive function, memory losses to declining mobility and difficulty eating. Therefore, dementia-proofing can be a gradual process and what need modifications in the house very much depend on the stage of dementia. I was quite lost on what to do when I first heard that my mom was diagnosed with dementia, but slowly I learnt to cope with it.

Managing dementia


In the initial stage, memory loss and forgetfulness is the main sign with no behavioral issue. So putting  up reminder / guide signages in the house, using whiteboard to cue To-dos, preparing medications in pill boxes (AM and PM separately) and setting reminder alarms are useful.

Switch socket covers and childproof outlet plugs can be installed if the elderly like to "play" with the socket / switch. In nights that my mom can't sleep she would turn on all the lights in the house and not turn them off even when she falls asleep. (Note some dementia patients would experience "sun down syndrome".)

Installation of grab bars and slip-resistant treatment to floor tiles at home are useful to prevent falls. These modifications can be made with subsidy through the EASE program as mentioned in my previous post.

While dementia progression can be slowed with medications, there is unfortunately no cure for it. The associated behavioral issues can sometimes be controlled with medications. 

In the later stage, elderly would start having incontinence and mobility issues. I noticed that these get worse with each episode of hospital stay, perhaps due to default diaper-wearing in hospital and also prolonged period of being bed-bound. With the help of occupational therapist referral for family with low income, elderly can get mobility aid (with up to 90% price subsidy) such as walking frame, geriatric chair, wheelchair from the hospital pharmacy upon discharge.

Problems

The most stressful times for caregivers would be when the elderly moves around the house wanting to do chores but doing them all wrong. Caregivers often have to clean and tidy up after them. Dementia patients will also forget where things are kept, misplace items, forget whether they have eaten or not (keep requesting for food or empty out the pantry when left alone) and may have problem maintaining their personal hygiene.

Besides keeping most fragile and important items locked up, even the fridge at home is now under lock-and-key. Family members have no choice but to put up with the inconveniences.



Hiring a new maid to care for the dementia elderly is also a problem, because it is impossible to have a 24/7 surveillance against mistreatment. A maid might not be properly trained to care for a dementia elderly, such as dealing with behavioral issues, mobility and incontinence issues, as well as handling an incredibly long list of medications (the list grew after every hospital discharge). Thus, I am hesitant to hire a maid in order to resume full-time work, although that was the first advice from social worker and some relatives before I pointed out these problems. The only circumstance in which I would hire a maid is when I become a full-time stay-at-home mom. One option that I might consider down the road is hiring a live-in caregiver.

Respite care services are also not easy to apply for. Since COVID period, some centers have stopped offering weekend respite care service. It is hard to keep elderly engaged at home, often it's just sleep or TV (when movements are restricted to prevent them from making mess, item destruction or falling down).

That's why some say caring for a dementia elderly is like a full-time job.

Preventing dementia

Dementia is a complex condition that can be caused by many factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. While there's no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, there are several things we can do to reduce the risk:

  1. Stay mentally active: Keep your brain stimulated by reading, playing games, learning new skills, and staying socially engaged.
  2. Exercise regularly: Both physical and mental exercise has been shown to help lower the risk of dementia.
  3. Eat a healthy diet: Eat a diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and low in saturated and trans fats.
  4. Manage your health: Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels in check, and manage any chronic conditions you may have.
  5. Protect your head and take safety measures to prevent falls.
  6. Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night.
  7. Stay socially engaged: Maintaining social connections has been shown to help reduce the risk of dementia.

[Source: ChatGPT]

The irony here is - half of the points above are difficult for the caregivers themselves to attain. Eg. how to get enough sleep when your dementia elderly exhibits sun down syndrome?

This probably explains why I have been getting neck aches, headaches, a challenged temper and signs of premature aging. Sigh~

"Research into the causes of premature aging has shown that stress has a lot to do with it, because the body wears down much faster during periods of crisis. The American Institute of Stress investigated this degenerative process and concluded that most health problems are caused by stress." 
- Ikigai (The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life)


AIC also provides resources for caregiver support. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Fei Yue Family Service Centre, as well as HCA for their home visits and timely supports over WhatsApp.

-
Useful references: 


If you have any thoughts or experience to share, please feel free to input at the comment box below.

----

Get a $10 Fairprice e-voucher when you sign up on the Trust bank app using my referral "8E73GQZ6" and start earning up to 2.5% p.a. interest rate on your deposits.

Get $20 bill rebate with TUAS power when you sign up with my referral code "RCPKNX4".

Do check out my other referrals here for more sign up bonuses. πŸ€—


Comments

  1. hyom27/03/2023, 00:44

    You have my deepest respect for your sacrifice and patience in taking care of your dementia mom.
    Take care of yourself too. You have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of your dependents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainbow30/03/2023, 18:41

      Hi hyom,

      Yup, I am trying my best to take care of myself as I take care of my mom. Thank you for visiting my blog and your kind words.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shit happens and I lost my low-hanging fruits

-
My SAYE account has just hit its 25th month anniversary which is also the "month of maturity". Anticipating to get the 3.5% bonus interest for all these months of saving, I was shocked to see only $17+ cash gift credited as opposed to a few hundred dollars. I was about to send a message to query the bank what caused this interest plummet versus what I got in the 13th month when I came across a debit transaction in my account history (GASP!). To my oblivion and horror, I have accidentally selected my SAYE account to transfer $50 to a joint account to foot some bill in one of the months last year. Here's the terms and conditions for those who are not familiar with the SAYE account of POSB. "To receive the additional 3.5% p.a. Cash Gift Interest, ensure that you do not make any withdrawal from your POSB SAYE account." "If a withdrawal is made in the month, this will result in the previously accumulated additional 3.5% p.a. interest to be forfeited." Damn.
Read more

Letters of Administration / Probate - DIY application

-
Image
It's been almost 2 months since my mum's passing. I have not had the mood to blog as there's simply too much for me to settle - both tangible and intangible stuff.  For the first month, there's like a void in my life that I couldn't get used to because I was so used to the daily routine of taking care of her. It felt like a boulder lifted off my shoulder, as I was near breaking point; but this boulder was not gone, instead it shifted to my heart. The passing was sudden but not unexpected. My mum's condition deteriorated rapidly after her last fall, which led to hospitalization, and every hospitalization made her more frail. On the last discharge she could barely sit up in bed. My mum  did not leave behind a will  because she did not see a need to at that time when she still had a clear state of mind. Without a will, I would need to apply for the Grant of Letters of Administration (instead of a Grant of Probate ) in order to administer her Estates. (Note: If ther
Read more

Success in life

-
Image
Different levels of our life and career Level 1 - Aimless You have no earthly idea what you're doing or where you're going. You have no direction. Level 2 - Stuck You can envision yourself doing better but can't seem to get out of a rut. You might work hard but experience very little progress. Level 3 - Coasting You are going through the motions. Your life is on cruise control. You do what you have to do to survive. Level 4 - Developing You are steadily growing. You've had incremental improvements over the past few years, and your relationships and career have excelled. Level 5 - Thriving You are operating in your sweet spot. You don't have to do anything. You get to do everything. Level 6 - Mastery You are doing so well that you're in a place to help others do the same. from  "Leveling up" by Ryan Leak I came across the above while browsing IG and it made me reflect on how success in life and career is defined. Which level am I at now? In my early 30s
Read more

Time or Money? II

-
Image
Some time back last year, I briefly penned a post Time or Money?  at a point when I was gloomiest about work. Today incidentally, I caught something interesting in the book 4-hour Workweek : "People don’t want to be millionaires—they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy. Ski chalets, butlers, and exotic travel often enter the picture. Perhaps rubbing cocoa butter on your belly in a hammock while you listen to waves rhythmically lapping against the deck of your thatchedroof bungalow? Sounds nice.  $1,000,000 in the bank isn’t the fantasy. The fantasy is the lifestyle of complete freedom it supposedly allows. The question is then, How can one achieve the millionaire lifestyle of complete freedom without first having $1,000,000?" This set me thinking.
Read more

Inflation pain

-
Image
Inflation is when Pepper Lunch stops giving complimentary soup, Korean dishes stops giving complimentary kimchi side dish, McChicken goes from $2 to $2.95 and to $3.25, and a 1-meat-2-vegs cai png now costs $6.50 (cos 三层肉 is considered special @$3). 😩 My $6.50 cai png which tasted meh Paying more is the trade-off for convenience. Buying stuff to cook at home would be cheaper. However, for a single person meal, it seems a waste of time, water and electricity. Food is about the only thing that made me feel inflation is overboard as the price increases are in double digit percentage. GST is going to hike to 9% next year, it's likely that we'll see another round of staples' price hike. Yikes! It's time to recalibrate my expectation on the prices of goods and services so that I won't feel so much pinch. It's also time for me to review my portfolio which is pretty much in red from the REIT price slump. With prices going up due to shortage of resources, it
Read more

Disclaimer:

The contents of this blog are author's personal opinions and do not constitute advice to hold, buy or sell any securities, commodities or assets mentioned. I do not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of any information provided, and shall not be liable for any losses incurred from reading my posts or using the materials herein. This blog may contain affiliate links to external sites.