Members and Families Handy Hints

Rosebery Centre

For Dementia Care
c/o Polbeth Harwood Parish Church, Chapelton Terrace, Polbeth, EH55 8SH Phone: 01506 870 651

1. Get your affairs in order and sort out a Power of Attorney. Joint bank accounts are always better.
2. Keep a sense of humour.
3. Be positive.
4. Ask for help – it’s out there!
5. Live your life as normally as you would with any other illness.
6. Use diaries, calendars, post-it notes to remind you of things.
7. Special phones are available with the facility to key in family photographs against numbers making it bit easier to choose who to phone.
8. Take your time to think; to answer and if others are not giving you enough time, let them know!
9. Cut down on noise or too many distractions when communicating. It is difficult to make conversation if there is a TV or radio humming in the background.
10. Avoid brash, highly patterned garments and household colours. Calm, pastel colours work much better for the person with dementia.
11. Use ‘signs’ to indicate where rooms are – ie: sign each room bathroom, bedroom, kitchen etc.
12. Use aromatherapy and mild massage to relax. This can help promote trust and empathy and also aid communication. Even a room diffuser or ‘Yankee’ candle burning can help stimulate through the sense of smell. (Never leave the person with dementia alone in a room with these).
13. Leave doors to rooms open which can help people with dementia see where they want to go.
14. Have bright lighting – if you use low energy bulbs use the highest voltage (Philips have as good one).
15. Have plenty of fresh air and non-stuffy atmospheres. Open windows (with our lovely Scottish weather) is essential.
16. As with other signs, label drawers and cupboards with contents – ie: in kitchen and bedroom etc.
17. Make sure that your hearing and vision has no impairment. Lack of good specs and hearing aids if appropriate, can make confusion seem worse.
18. If there is a sudden change in behaviour or los$ of certain functions, there could be a simple urine infection or physical illness. Get your health checked – often it is something easily treated!
19. Talk about your feelings and fears. Try to find out what skills you still have and make them work for you.
20. Finally, REMEMBER THAT THERE IS LIFE BEYOND THIS ILLNESS! And, give us more your ideas that may help you and others.