To a senior with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, mirrors can cause challenging dementia behavior. Many times looking into a mirror is not a pleasurable experience and at times can even be terrifying. They may see an apparition of strange faces, or distortion of their face, or hallucinations like monsters, faces of deceased relatives, or even animals.
When a senior is experiencing these disturbing symptoms, their caregiver often wants to help them understand that these beliefs and experiences are not real; however, a logical approach is not always best when caring for a dementia patient.
How can you help:
- Validate feelings – say something like, “I see that your upset, I would be upset if I saw those things too.”
- Suggest moving to a different room or taking a walk
Some hallucinations, such as seeing children or the Easter Bunny can be comforting. If a senior is not distraught caregivers don’t need to do anything to stop it – you only need to respond to things that are scary or disruptive. The truth is that dementia affects people in many ways, and each person’s response will be slightly different.
Alzheimer’s /Dementia affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Living with Alzheimer’s or any form of dementia or memory disorder can be isolating and often a stressful experience for both the Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
Impacting quality of life: Alzheimer’s disease causes a steady decline in memory, thinking, and behavior severe enough to interfere with everyday living. Many seniors and families will need to turn to professional caregiving services as a means to remain independent in their homes.
Knowing when to seek outside help and where to find quality care can be challenging. Granny NANNIES was established in 1990 to provide seniors with in-home care. Operating under the founding premise that reliable and affordable senior home care should be available to everyone, professional care providers offer personalized services to meet the requirements of any individual, regardless of age or need, in their home. Services are available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Granny NANNIES refers quality and trustworthy in-home care for you and your loved ones. For more information on how we can help you, call 800-316-2669 or visit our website at GrannyNANNIES.com