How to cope as a family when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia

In a previous blog here at the home care agency in Gloucestershire, Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk), we touched on some of the first potential signs of dementia in a loved one. In today's piece, we will consider the impact that a dementia diagnosis can have on you and your family, and how to cope with it. It's easy to think that all is lost when you are struggling to look after a loved one with dementia, but it is important to remember that help is always at hand.

Even if you have suspected that a loved one has dementia for a while, the actual diagnosis can be a shock. It isn't just the person diagnosed, but also family and friends who will be inevitably affected by such an event, not least as you will have great responsibility as a carer suddenly thrust upon you. Major decisions will need to be made, including on possible domestic care in Gloucester, and the stress of ensuring the wellbeing of someone who is now so much more dependent on you than previously can be immense.

Caring for someone with dementia can cause great strain to relationships, and the diagnosed person's behaviour may become more frustrating and difficult to understand as the dementia advances. The person may become hostile or act in an otherwise strange way towards you, causing a great deal of stress for both of you. It can be very rewarding to care for someone with dementia, but you may also feel exhausted, lonely and overwhelmed at various times. It's important to at least understand that these sometimes extreme, changeable and complex emotions are completely normal, but that there is no simple way of managing them.

Many people, on learning of a loved one's dementia diagnosis, feel guilty about how they may have treated that person in the past, and may also grieve at the loss of the person that they once knew and the future that they had planned together. You may also be angry about your unexpected new responsibility as a caregiver, as well as at support services, people who do not appear to be helping out or the person with dementia for difficult behaviour. If your emotions are overcoming you, it is vital to speak to your doctor, who may suggest ways in which you can have a break from caregiving - such as taking advantage of available respite care in Gloucestershire.

This kind of emotional and long-term support and respite care is not the only option for the family and carers of dementia sufferers, however. There is also the more practical day-to-day support which can be just as important. Help with daily chores, for instance, company in the form of one-on-one contact or group day care. Both short and long-term support is available – carers need not have to shoulder any of the responsibilities alone.

Even though the disease may change over time, support is available for families from carers groups and social services. Meanwhile, the diagnosed person is often able to stay in their own home for some time to come, with services like Bramble Home Care's (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) own domiciliary care in Gloucestershire helping them to preserve their mobility and independence.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.