With more than 1,00,000 new daily cases of COVID-19, people living in the United States of America are struggling hard to keep themselves safe from the deadly infection. While doctors and nurses are leaving no stone unturned to bring the situation under control and save the lives of maximum people, home caregivers of dementia patients are increasingly getting worried.
No, it is not that dementia patients are at a higher risk of catching an infection, but their behavioral problems are posing a challenge before their caregivers. So, if you are a caregiver of a loved one having dementia and you are taking care of her or him at home, let’s know about the tips or dementia caregivers amidst Covid-19.
- Monitor the health regularly. If your loved one is increasingly exhibiting symptoms of confusion and simultaneously experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, immediately call your doctor or health care provider.
- Place signboards in the bathroom and adjacent areas to remind your loved about maintaining thorough hand hygiene. Encourage to use soap or a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Remind him or her repeatedly to cover the nose during sneezing and mouth during coughing.
- Request them to maintain adequate social distancing and to stay away from sharing food items with other family members.
- Encourage to wear masks when he or she is around other family members or in an outdoor facility.
- Make sure to eat healthy home-cooked food and take occasional breaks so that you can be physically and mentally fit to take care of your loved one round the clock.
- Refill the medical prescriptions for a month or more to reduce frequent trips to the pharmacy, as this will reduce your coronavirus exposure. Remember, many people are infected but do not have any visible symptoms of Covid-19.
- Try to engage your loved one in some physical or mental activities such as gardening, painting, or mind games for their overall well-being.
- Take the help of technology to enable them to communicate with their loved ones frequently, or else they will end up suffering from a sense of loneliness and isolation that deteriorate their condition.
- Make an alternative plan and talk to other family members about who will be the primary caregiver in case you get infected and had to isolate yourself from the rest of the family.
Have some patience as caregiving a person with dementia is always challenging. In the current situation, when Covid-19 is spreading like wildfire, keeping yourself and your care recipient safe from any health issue is extremely tough. So, communicate with your loved one frequently and keep a close watch on whether he or she is following all the preventive measures or not. Last but not least, remain positive and seek the help of other experienced caregivers.