Why You Need to Pay Extra Attention to Your Loved One with Dementia in the Nursing Home

When a family member with dementia is placed in a nursing home, families generally anticipate professional care. Although most nursing homes try to provide compassionate and open-ended care, the fact remains that dementia patients require specialized care above and beyond regular care routines. This is because symptoms only get worse with time.

Families must remain actively involved, observant, and present despite placement in a professional facility. There have been numerous cases of dementia patients ending up malnourished since they forgot to eat or their cognitive ability doesn't recognize hunger. There are also instances of dementia causing dehydration.

Keep reading to understand why you should pay attention to your loved one with dementia in a nursing home. 

Dementia Patients Are Vulnerable

Dementia disrupts an individual's memory, communication, reasoning, and perception. This resulting cognitive impairment makes a person more susceptible to neglect, injury, and even abuse. 

A patient with dementia will not always speak up when in pain or discomfort, or report abuse. Without constant supervision and being on the lookout for subtle distress signals like dehydration, bedsores, or mood disturbances, abuse can continue for a long time without being noticed until something goes terribly wrong.

Nursing home staff usually attend to several residents at a time. Reports show that CNAs in the day shift can care for 6-7 residents at once. Even staff with the best of intentions may miss danger signals or lack time for one-on-one visits. Your visits can make up for the deficit. You know your family member's habits, responses, and routines. Regular visits and talking with staff can solve problems before they become major ones.

Continuity and Familiarity Promote Well-being

Dementia destroys a person's sense of time, space, and self. New surroundings and people may contribute to agitation and confusion. Your constant presence provides a comforting sense of continuity. Familiarity with voices, rituals, and routines may soothe anxiety.

Personal items, sharing family stories, and doing what one used to do with family before dementia can have positive psychological benefits for the patient. Emotional connection continues to be very real and important for most dementia patients, even when verbal communication is at a minimum. The fact that you're still there tells them that they are loved, remembered, and seen.

You Are the Most Informed Advocate

No one is more aware of your loved one's unique needs than you. You know their likes and dislikes, sensitivities, allergies, history, and traditions. In a nursing home, this kind of personalized information is priceless. By staying involved, you can help craft care plans to better reflect their own unique needs, such as diet, personal calming strategies, or favored daily schedules.

Facility Oversight Fosters Responsibility

Too often, nursing homes do not live up to what they promise or advertise. Understaffing, burnout, and turnover can undermine continuity and quality of care. Yet when relatives visit regularly, they convey to staff that someone is monitoring and that the resident has people who are watching and asking questions.

Such informal supervision can discourage negligence. It also makes it easier to interact constructively with team members, who will be more inclined to provide active feedback and personal attention when they see you participating.

Conclusion

Placing a loved one who has dementia in a nursing home is a tough decision to make. But it is not the end of your work, but rather a new beginning. Special attention does not imply micromanaging; it implies staying connected, staying on top of things, and being engaged. Your presence is not only a cause of emotional reassurance to your loved one but also a key to their safety, dignity, and quality of life. Remember, you are not just a guest but a protector.