By Tom Philips at August 9, 2023

A Practical Guide to Caring for a Person with Dementia

If you are someone who is caring for a loved one with dementia, then you will know just how challenging it can be, which is why the team at Equity Release Warehouse have created a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

Who is classified as a carer?

Before we discuss a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia, it is important to understand what and who a carer is. According to Citizens Advice [1] you are classified as a carer if you do any of the following things.

You help someone to get up in the morning
You help someone to wash, dress or eat on a regular basis
You help someone to do their weekly food shop
You do not get paid for the help that you offer and give
You spend a significant amount of your time carer for an individual

You are a carer if you are looking after anyone who suffers from an illness, frailty, disability or mental health issue [1].

Unfortunately, lots of people do not classify themselves as a carer, even though they might be. If you are a carer, then continue reading for a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

What it’s like suffering from dementia

If you know someone who is suffering from dementia, then you will know just how agonising and upsetting it can be for both the individual suffering from dementia and those around them [2].

Dementia is a disease which causes a loss to an individual’s cognitive functioning. This means that dementia affects things such as your ability to think clearly, control their thoughts, remembering information and your ability to reason.

People suffer from either mild, moderate or severe dementia. Those with mild dementia might be able to carry on their day to day roles and responsibilities, whereas those with severe dementia will completely depend on other people for help with even the most basic things, such as going to the toilet or feeding themself [2].

As you can see, caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, which is why the team at Equity Release Warehouse have created a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?

Before we discuss a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia, it is important to understand the signs and symptoms associated with dementia [2].

Struggling to remember things
Poor judgement
Getting confused easily
Struggling to talk
Struggling to read or write
Asking the same questions over and over again
Getting lost when going for walks
Using the wrong words in sentences
Struggling to handle money
Hallucinating
Feeling paranoid
Loss of balance
Struggling with movement
Feeling unsympathetic towards other people and their feelings

If you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself or in someone you know and love, then speak to your local GP for help and support.

As you can see, caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, which is why the team at Equity Release Warehouse have created a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

A practical guide to caring for a person with dementia

If you are currently caring for someone who is suffering from dementia, then it might at times seem confusing and overwhelming. This is why our team has created a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

Knowing what to do when someone is suffering from dementia isn’t always easy, which is why our team at Equity Release Warehouse have compiled a list of tips and a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia.

1. Help them with their eating and drinking

When someone suffers from dementia, their coordination and ability to move might deteriorate. This means that they might need help when it comes to eating and drinking.

Lots of people choose to help their loved one to eat or drink through spoon feeding. It is important to ensure that your loved one is eating nutritious food during this time, as losing weight rapidly is very common for those suffering from dementia.

People with dementia are also at risk from becoming dehydrated, which could lead to constipation, poor oral health, further confusion and dizziness [3].

This is why it is crucial that those suffering from dementia eat three healthy meals a day, and drink at least 1.5 litres – 2 litres of water every day.

It might also be overwhelming for someone with dementia to eat and finish entire meals, which is why you should offer small portions at a time, and always check the temperature and consistency of the food you are feeding your loved one [3].

For more help and support when it comes to helping your loved one with dementia to eat and drink, take a look at Age UK’s guide to Eating and Drinking with Dementia [3].

2. Help with going to the toilet

The second tip in a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia is to help them when it comes to going to the toilet.

It is incredibly common for older people to struggle when it comes to going to the toilet, especially if they suffer from a disease such as dementia.

People with dementia are likely to struggle when it comes to urinary incontinence as well as faecal incontinence.

This happens because when someone suffers from dementia, messages between the brain, the bladder and the bowel do not work in the way that they should [4].

This means that people with dementia might lose control over their bladders and bowels, meaning that they might often relieve themselves in public or when they do not want to.

As a carer of someone with dementia, you will need to support them appropriately when this happens.

If you are caring for someone who suffers from bladder and bowel problems as a result of suffering from dementia, then you should try to support them by always making it clear where the toilet is when you are out and about.

You should also be prepared to go to the toilet with them, to make sure they are not alone.

3. Help to create a safe environment for them

The third tip in a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia is to create the right environment for them.

If you are looking after someone who is struggling from dementia, then it is important to make sure that they live within a safe environment. You might want to consider the layout of the home, to make it as easy and simple to move around as possible.

You could label rooms or cupboards for the individual, so that they know where everything is and do not get confused.

You might also want to think about limiting the number of mirrors inside the property, as some people with dementia get confused by looking at their own reflection.

You could consider installing some assistive technology to help the individual move freely and safely around the home, without being worried about them falling over or getting into trouble.

You might also want to reduce the amount of noise within the property, as this can often be distracting and confusing for someone with dementia.

4. Help them to remain calm and overcome agitation

The fourth tip in a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia is to create a calm environment. For someone with dementia, it is incredibly easy to feel anxious and agitated throughout the day.

You can’t avoid this by creating a routine for the individual, whether it’s a daily or weekly routine. This will help them to feel at ease and on track.

You should also try to avoid any confrontation or arguments with the individual, as this can often be triggering and upsetting for anyone with dementia. In times like this, taking part in activities or exercise can help a lot.

You should try to remain calm and only use positive statements. You should try to limit the situation, whilst providing reassurance and listening to the individual and what they need.

For more help and support when it comes to helping someone who’s feeling anxious whilst suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, take a look on the Alzheimer’s Association page [5].

5. Help them to improve their communication

Our last tip in a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia is to help them with their communication.

Communication for someone with dementia is not easy, and many people with dementia struggle to form the right sentences and find the right words to coherently communicate with you. They might struggle with their memory and will often get angry, upset or frustrated when they find themselves struggling to communicate effectively.

This is why if you are caring for someone with dementia, then it is important to understand how to effectively communicate with them.

You should always talk slowly and clearly, and should consider using short sentences [6]. You should also try to use direct eye contact, as this will encourage a level of trust between you [6].

You should also try your best to give them enough time to respond. It might take them a while to find the right words to use, which is why patience is key [6].

If you are asking them a question, then you should try to keep things simple. For example, try to ask them yes or no questions (also known as closed questions) or questions where there are only one or two answers for them to give [6].

A practical guide to caring for a person with dementia – practical things you can do as a carer

If you are caring for someone then there are a whole host of other, more practical things that you can do to care for and support the individual you are caring for.

Some of these things might only be applicable to you if you are close to the individual, or are related to them in some way.

1. Help them get on top of their legal affairs

If you are a family member or loved one of the individual(s) you are caring for, then you might want to consider helping them with their legal affairs.

Whilst this topic can always be difficult to discuss, it is vital that things get sorted whilst individual with dementia is still able to make their own decisions and choices.

2. Help them to put a Will in place

If the individual you are caring for still has mental capacity, then you should try to talk to them about writing or reviewing their will. The individual’s Will should always be up to date, and the next of kin(s) should be clearly stated.

In order to do this, the individual should have enough mental capacity to make their own decisions and understand exactly what they are doing and what the consequences are.

You will need someone to witness the Will, and should always consult with a solicitor to make sure that the Will the individual you are caring for is legally binding.

3. Help them to sort out their lasting powers of attorney

Once again, if the individual you are caring for has mental capacity, and if you are close enough to the individual to be able to do so, then you might want to consider helping them to set up a lasting power of attorney.

The lasting power of attorney needs to be someone that the individual trusts to make any decisions on their behalf. This is usually a son, daughter, grandchild or relative of the individual. Whilst this process can be expensive, it is well worth doing.

This is because people with dementia often lose their capacity over time, making it incredibly difficult for them to make decisions. The individual will need to register with the Office of Public Guardian and their LPA will need to sign a document.

The lasting power of attorney will then be responsible for making any health, medical or financial decisions for the individual if they lose their mental capacity due to dementia.

4. Help them to move into a care home

Unfortunately, it can get to a point where you feel like your loved one needs to move into a care home for more help and support than you can offer.

For some carers, this can often be a difficult decision and can leave you feeling a whole host of emotions including guilt. Others might struggle with a lack of purpose or self-worth after their loved one moves into a care home [7].

If you feel like your loved one needs to move into a care home, then the first thing that they need to do is think about how you will access funding for the individual’s care.

If you are funding care treatment, then you will need to look for care providers in their local area.

If you need help with funding for a care home, then you will need to contact your local authority (the council) and ask them for help and support in gaining access to a care home.

You will always have a care assessment at home before any decisions are made, to assess whether or not that person needs to move into a care home, or whether any home adjustments and home improvements need to be made.

A practical guide to caring for a person with dementia – personal support

Finally, the last tip in a practical guide to caring for a person with dementia is to look after yourself. Caring for someone with dementia can take a toll on you, both physically and emotionally.

Below are a few tips on how to ensure that you are staying on top of your physical and mental health whilst still caring for someone who is suffering from dementia:

Talk to other people who are also carers to share stories and pieces of advice
Take regular breaks from caring, although this might be hard. If you are the sole carer for the individual, then try to see if someone else can care for them for a few hours so that you can do some things for yourself.
Get a carer’s assessment. A carer’s assessment is when the social services in your area will carry out an assessment to see if you need any more help or support.
Talk to your local GP so that you can gain access to helpful information about dementia

If you are caring for someone with dementia, then we hope our practical guide to caring for a person with dementia has been helpful to you. If you are in need of more help and support, then there are a number of charities that will be able to support you, including Age UK or the Alzheimer’s Society.