Dementia care at home: tips that actually help

Routine reduces confusion

Dementia patients cope far better when meals, bathing, walks and sleep happen at the same times every day. A predictable routine does more to reduce agitation than almost any other intervention, and it is free.

Keep furniture where it is. Rearranging a familiar room can be genuinely disorienting.

Do not argue with the reality they are in

If your mother believes her late husband is coming home this evening, correcting her means she experiences that loss again, freshly, every time. Acknowledge the feeling and redirect gently to something else instead.

This feels dishonest to most families at first. In practice it is the kinder approach, and it is what trained dementia caregivers are taught to do.

Plan for wandering

Wandering is common and dangerous, particularly after dark. Fit door chimes or latches high on the door where they are less noticeable, keep an ID card with your phone number on the patient at all times, and inform neighbours and the local guard.

Late afternoon is often the hardest

Many patients become more confused and agitated in the late afternoon and evening — commonly called sundowning. Keep the room well lit before dusk, reduce noise and television, and schedule demanding tasks like bathing for the morning instead.