How to help people with dementia
With the UK release of the award-winning film, Still Alice, we examine the best ways to deal with dementia from the leading expert in Dementia Services and Development June Andrews.
The author of the guide Dementia, the One-stop Guide, has help and advice for both those suffering from dementia and their carers. A still much undiscovered disease, June Andrews is trying to raise awareness and prepare people for Dementia.
Ways to assist those with dementia
1. Increase Lighting: Being able to see what is in front of you helps, so increase the wattage of bulbs in your house, and avoid subdued lighting. Try to replace old energy-saving light bulbs as, though they last longer, they lose their luminescence over time.
2. Be Aware of Mirrors: Someone with dementia may peer into a looking glass and be startled when they don't recognise their own reflection. They may expect to see their face as it was 20 years ago. If this happens, cover or remove mirrors to avoid this upsetting experience.
3. Plain Wallpaper and Furnishings: Soft furnishings and carpets help to absorb noise from a chair being scraped across a floor or the clattering of cutlery. Elsewhere in the house, wallpaper with strong patterns can cause optical illusions in dementia, so keep things plain and simple.
4. Avoid Shiny floors: If replacing your floor anyway, avoid shiny floors. Carpet tiles are a good alternative - and are easier to replace.
5. Covering Windows with Net Curtains: A hallucination is seeing or hearing something that isn't there, as Gerald, a 68-year-old with dementia, explains: 'I saw my reflection in the lounge window and started yelling at my wife that the neighbours were in the garden and she should call the police. Of course, it turned out to be me.' In a case such as Gerald's, the simple act of putting up net curtains, or closing the curtains, could help to avoid such confusion in the future.
FILM: Still Alice is out in cinemas todayBOOK: Dementia: The One-Stop Guide is out now