Keystone Villa at Douglassville held its third of a four-part, free educational series, Caregiver Techniques in Helping with Dementia Care on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Attendees learned different caregiver techniques that would help a person with dementia complete tasks with declining physical, mental and verbal abilities. Alison Sprankle, training specialist and care manager of Good News Consulting, Inc., discussed different life skill methods that can be used to help your loved one.

Sprankle said that no matter what level of dementia, people want to maintain their independence as much as possible. She said it becomes too easy to do too much for them and then it becomes a battle of the wills. To make daily routines easier, she recommends giving options for them to decide for themselves. Sprankle said it does not matter if the outfit they choose clashes, what counts is that they feel self-sufficient.

Because of frustration and declining abilities, a person with dementia might not cooperate and become difficult when asked to do something like eat or brush his or her teeth. The Hand Under Hand technique allows them to feel like they are still doing the task themselves while being guided along.

If he or she is right handed, you sit or stand to the right, slide your hand under their hand palm up and clasp their hand as though you are about to arm wrestle. You get a little behind them and tuck your arm under their arm. In this position, you now have full use of your fingers to hold an object and move their arm up or down or in or out.

In this position, you can hold a utensil, get food and bring it up to their mouth to eat. You can accomplish things like comb their hair or brush their teeth. With this non-invasive help, they feel like they are successfully participating and will cooperate. If the person is left handed, you stand to their left side and do the same thing with your left hand.

Being stubborn and refusing to eat can become a huge challenge for the caregiver. Other methods that help with dining are simplifying utensils, cups and food presentation by using contrasting colors in table settings to help with attention span, minimizing distracting noise, playing calming instrumental music, and having one-on-one conversations.

If you notice sputtering, coughing or chewing problems while eating, contact your doctor and ask for a speech evaluation to determine if a change is needed in food texture and/or liquid consistency.

Bathing can also be difficult to accomplish as the disease progresses. A few simple techniques could defuse a situation from becoming a behavioral trigger. Dont make a person take a shower when they have been a bath taker all their life. Determine what time of day they prefer personal hygiene. Collect all of the supplies you need in advance before you begin. Let them get bathed in a loose fitting cover-up so their dignity is maintained. Warm the room and towels. Minimize noise, distractions and clutter. If they really dont like water on their body anymore, try a waterless shampoo or soap product. They can be found online or at many stores that sell camping products like Cabelas or Dicks Sporting Goods.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish as the caregiver, keep the activity positive. Start carefully and slowly, go step-by-step and provide encouraging feedback all the way.

Keystone Villa at Douglassville invites the community to attend the conclusion of this series on Wednesday, March 21, 6 to 7:30 p.m., with Successful Engagement with Those Who Have Dementia. Continued...

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Keystone Villa at Douglassville holds Dementia seminar