When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, it can often feel stressful and overwhelming. But with an improved approach to treating dementia, patients and their families are learning how they can continue living life with meaning and purpose. Keep reading to learn more from your Edinburg family doctor about holistic dementia care treatment for your loved ones.
What Is Holistic Dementia Care?
A holistic dementia care approach is about supporting the patient with dementia as a whole rather than just treating the disease. Traditional dementia treatments focus on physical needs, but holistic dementia care treats both physical and emotional needs.
Holistic dementia care helps patients find their identity while family members can learn about their limitations and abilities to keep them healthy and safe.
The 4 Cornerstones of Holistic Dementia Care
For a successful dementia holistic healthcare plan to work, there are four important aspects that need to be carried out. These include the patient’s environment, method of communication, dietary needs, and activity level.
1. Environment
A patient with dementia needs to reside in a place that feels welcoming, safe, comfortable, and non-judgemental to them. Loud noises or stress about their environment could trigger feelings of fearfulness and confusion. It’s one simple way to help those with dementia get through each day.
2. Language
Communication with a person who has dementia can be complex. Language needs to be simple and easy for them to understand. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication. Keep communication positive so they don’t feel like they’ve become a burden.
3. Nutrition
Everyone has the same needs when it comes to diet and nutrition, and people with dementia are no different. But when you add in the other difficulties they may have with communication, it gets more complicated. You can avoid confrontations and struggles by making sure they eat a well-balanced diet at regularly scheduled meal and snack times. This is also a great opportunity to get into some social interactions with friends and family.
4. Activity
Just because a loved one has dementia doesn’t mean they have to be cooped up in one room of the house. They still deserve to have meaningful lives with fun activities. Activity helps them keep their bodies in shape as well. Encourage them to take up activities they enjoy, like gardening, drawing, painting, walking, or playing an instrument.
How Can Holistic Dementia Care Benefit the Ones I Love?
As you can probably already see, this holistic approach to treating dementia has a lot of benefits, but these cornerstones aren’t the only advantages. From your doctor’s primary care services to your family’s help, you can all work together to provide your loved ones with dementia with a comfortable, happy, and healthy life.
A holistic approach can help keep away feelings of depression, loneliness, boredom, anger, agitation, fearfulness, and confusion. Additionally, doctors use medications to treat each individual’s needs rather than meeting a cookie-cutter dementia care method. This dramatically reduces the potential side effects that could cause more harm than good.
Family Medicine And Geriatric Center: Providing Holistic Care to Dementia Patients!
If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia, it can be a difficult time. You’ll want a geriatric doctor and team who is not only compassionate and caring but knows their stuff.
That’s why Family Medicine and Geriatric Center is right for you! Our knowledgeable team brings their experience together to find the dementia treatment that works best for your family. Talk to our team and find out how we can help you make the right choices for those you love with dementia.