There are more than 200 types of dementia, so the following is general information. Dementia is not typical aging memory loss. In dementia, the hippocampus is progressively damaged, affecting factual recall and logical thinking; other parts of the brain last far longer without damage, meaning that the emotional feeling of things and kinesthetic connections remain.
What does this knowledge imply? (1) At a certain point, it is no kindness to anyone to correct your loved one on names and facts. (2) Do focus on the emotional feeling of things and on movement, dancing, singing, fingering books and newspapers, and ensuring they have a role to play (such as safely helping with dishes) providing them an emotional feeling of home through contribution. Your loved one will be remarkably able to enjoy in the present moment your friendship, outings, the feel and look of nature, and so on.
As people progress in Alzheimer’s, they will lose the ability to see darker colours and especially greens and blues. So? Put water in a red cup rather than a clear glass, and they will drink 40x more! Put mashed potatoes and chicken on a red plate to make the food stand out, and they will eat more. Last point: field of vision decreases as Alzheimer’s progresses, and often hearing aids will feel awkward or get lost, so: Approach from in front, not the side. Who likes to be startled or surprised by someone? Become a detective as to what the purpose of surprising behaviour actually is. Read online Dr. Gemma Jones’ short articles. You will enjoy a far warmer relationship with your loved one, all the way through. Dance as though no one is looking…