Coping with emotional Impact of caring for someone with dementia
- Dementia affects not only the person with it but also their loved ones.
- Taking care of Dementia patient is the most stressful and burdensome type of care giving lasting for several years.
- There is lack of awareness about Dementia in India. The symptoms of Dementia mainly memory impairment is considered normal with advancing age.
- Patients are brought to the doctor when they have gross behavioral problems and become difficult to manage
- Caregivers are invariably stressed out due to the Burden of the disease.
- They have mental and physical heath issues.
- The Caregivers have greater risk of Depression and anxiety and poor quality of life.
- Have social withdrawal from family and friends.
- Found to have greater risk of mortality.
- There is less or no time to themselves.
- They have sleep deprivation along with mental and physical exhaustion.
- One should know in detail about the illness of Dementia, how it affects the behavior, memory and Activities of daily living.
- Find sources of help from contacts ,family and friends.
- Find personal time, do something you enjoy. Find time to exercise, eat well and sleep adequately.
- Look for Support Groups for Caregivers.
- Look after your physical and mental heath, identify symptoms of Depression and seek help.
- Caregivers with a high burden of disease have potential for mistreating the patient, one must keep that in check