Dementia is a disease that will touch every Australian in some way, with an estimated 425,000 people in currently living with dementia in the country.

Dementia is now a commonly used term that isn’t actually a single, stand-alone condition, but a complex set of diseases.

Dementia has a major impact on communication and behaviour, and for friends, family and carers, how we respond to that behaviour is key to the comfort of the person with the disease.

The parietal lobes in the brain manage sensory hearing, and these can be affected by dementia, which means sense like hearing, sight, touch, smell, and even hot and cold are not being processed as they once were.

A wide range of challenges for carers and loved ones come with the loss of these senses. Some examples include a person drinking something too hot for them and not understand where the burn came from, or a loss of reading and writing ability.

As a family member or carer, spending time to understand the person with dementia, and potentially relearning to communicate with them in a way they can process, may help to re-open these communication channels.

Some ways to do this can including trying different ways to communicate, and putting effort into understanding what this person is trying to do and help them.

There are also some R’s that can be very helpful if you love, or are caring for, someone with dementia. Remain calm. Respond to feelings. Reassure the person. Remove yourself momentarily if appropriate.

It’s key to remember that we can’t change the person with dementia, but you can change your response.

If you are seeking care services to help a loved one with their dementia care and journey, visit our Service Provider Directory and create the right connections for their best quality of life.