How to Care for a Parent with Dementia

It is not easy dealing with a parent who has dementia or its most common type, Alzheimer’s disease. It’s hard both for the parent diagnosed and for the child acting as the caretaker, as so much care must go into supporting the various stages of mental decline. Dementia describes the loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, reasoning, and remembering) to an extent where it affects the individual’s daily activities and quality of life. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 110 million American adults are providing unpaid care to a family member or person with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It can be taxing mentally, emotionally and financially on everyone involved. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association says about 25% of family caregivers devote about 40 hours a week in service of the parent or loved one, making this field a very important one to learn about as you embark on this caregiving journey. 

Understanding Dementia

When you begin to lose your cognitive functioning, everything in life begins to change. What were once thoughtless tasks become arduous activities and those with the disease will need lots of help in their day-to-day lives. 

Common Signs & Symptoms of Dementia

• Difficulty concentrating: Those with dementia may have trouble focusing on a specific task or conversation. They may seem easily distracted or may have trouble following their train of thought. 
• Confusion: People with dementia may often become confused about what day or time it is, or even have trouble recognizing their surroundings. They can get lost easily. 
• Language issues: Finding the right words or having trouble following a conversation is common for individuals with dementia. 
• Personality changes: Becoming more withdrawn, irritable, or moody is common among dementia patients. 
• Issues with planning ahead: It’s hard for dementia patients to plan ahead, problem solve, or make decisions. 

Managing Symptoms of Dementia at Home

Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia. However, there are things to keep in mind to ensure things run smoothly for both the parent and the caregiver:

• Keep a consistent schedule: Creating a predictable daily schedule of regular wake-up times, eating meals, taking medication, and going to bed can feel safe and assuring to dementia patients.
• Wandering prevention: To prevent an “event” from occurring, lock doors and windows, keep valuables and weapons out of sight, and consider alarms or GPS tracking devices for those at risk of wandering.
• Shift your communication: Speak softly and slowly, using short and clear sentences to avoid confusion. Pay attention to their body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to understand their needs, and acknowledge how they’re feeling without arguing or trying to correct them.

The Link Between Dementia and Incontinence

Particularly in the middle or later stages of dementia, incontinence becomes a common issue. Dementia affects the part of the brain in charge of communication and control, disrupting messages from the brain to the bladder, creating more accidents and leaks. Dementia patients also have a harder time remembering how to use the bathroom or realizing that they have to go. Dementia can cause physical impairments that make using the toilet on one’s own a challenge. Urinary incontinence is the most common type of incontinence for dementia patients, and it’s important to recognize if the problem persists. 

The Role of Incontinence Products for Those With Dementia

When dealing with incontinence, the last thing you want to worry about is being on-call for frequent accidents and leaks, or helping your loved one use the bathroom 24/7. Parentgiving has top-of-the-line incontinence products with maximum absorbency and natural materials so your parent can enjoy dryness and healthy hygiene while dealing with incontinence. 

Incontinence Products We Recommend 

Dry Direct Ultimate Protective Underwear: Our highest-rated, maximum absorbency underwear-styled product is great for daytime and overnight use with up to 10 hours of coverage. It’s leakproof, breathable, odor-reducing, and exceptionally soft and comfortable.

Tranquility Premium OverNight Absorbent Underwear: Enjoy uninterrupted sleep with protective underwear that features a super-absorbent core and breathable fabric. The underwear features a full-rise waist panel for a secure fit, minimizing the need for nighttime adjustments. Free from latex, lycra, and spandex, it also neutralizes urine pH, enhancing skin protection and care.

Dry Direct Maxi Overnight Brief: This tape-on brief is expertly crafted for heavy absorbency, ideal for individuals with dementia. Made entirely in Italy, it features a luxurious top sheet and side panels. The brief uses super-soft, hypoallergenic non-woven fabric in the front and side panels for added comfort and skin protection, and includes a leak guard to prevent any accidents.

TENA Extra Absorbency ProSkin Protective Underwear: This underwear is designed to handle heavy urine loss, offering dignified protection that feels just like regular underwear, making it suitable for individuals with dementia. It features technology that quickly absorbs urine into the core and wicks moisture away from the skin, helping to prevent discomfort.

Tips for Caregivers

It’s important when you’re caring for someone else to take even better care of yourself. Keep these tips in mind to create a more seamless caregiving journey for both you and your parent:

• Learn as much as possible about the condition: Nothing experienced in adult life prepares a person to care for a parent or loved one with dementia. With more knowledge, the family caregiver can improve the quality of care for the parent and reduce the personal stress associated with caring for a parent with dementia.
• Get as much help as possible: There is one thing the family caregiver must realize — it is not possible to do it alone. The stress from dealing with a parent with dementia is considerably more than one can imagine, and studies show it can affect personal health. Reduce your stress load and seek expert help when beginning your care journey.
• Join a support group: Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers often report being highly stressed. During this difficult life transition, it’s absolutely crucial to surround yourself with support and other people who are going through similar situations. Know that you are not alone and sometimes all it takes is getting things off your chest in a safe space to feel more supported. 
• Carve out time for plenty of self-care: Whether it’s 1-1 counseling, going to yoga a few days a week, or enlisting more help in caring for your parent, it’s absolutely important to take good care of yourself and your health during this time to avoid burnout or health issues down the road. Build this into your care plan so you will become a better caregiver, too. 

Legal and Financial Considerations 

When your parent or loved one has dementia, they’re typically not able to make important legal or financial decisions. Set up power of attorney (a specific person appointed by the dementia patient who will make decisions on their behalf). This will be greatly helpful when financial and legal decisions need to be made. A living will (or advance directive) is also a wise choice, as this legal document will outline the dementia patient's wishes should they become incapacitated or unable to make these choices on their own. A guardianship is a last resort if power of attorney isn’t possible. It’s important to make these arrangements early on before the dementia becomes worse. 

How Parentgiving Can Help 

If you’re the primary caretaker of your parent or loved one and need extra support, explore parentgiving.com for many educational resources and top-notch products that can assist your parent and your caregiving journey. Know you are not alone and that there are many resources available to help, and we’d be honored to assist and support you. View our full selection of incontinence products today.