As dementia progresses through the stages, many seniors start to have more trouble with time and how they understand it. These issues with time can be incredibly frustrating and confusing for seniors with dementia. It can also be upsetting for family caregivers as they try to help seniors with dementia go through their daily routines. Understanding more about how dementia and time interact can help, and Alzheimer’s home care providers can offer families resources that can help.
Dementia and Sense of Time
Dementia is a brain illness that damages the areas of the brain that relate to reasoning, orientation, and memory. As those areas have more trouble functioning properly, awareness of time, dates, and daily routines changes significantly.
With further cognitive decline, seniors may struggle more to understand how time works. They gradually become confused about what day it is, what time it is, or how long specific tasks take them to do. Memory issues further exacerbate the problem.
Difficulty Processing Daily Routines
Daily routines are really helpful for seniors with dementia because they’re familiar and provide structure to the day or week. For seniors who have trouble with time and feel like they lose track of it, routines can help them stay grounded. As dementia progresses, it’s more difficult for seniors with dementia to process and remember those routines.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can offer prompts to help seniors stay on target.
Confusion with Past and Present
For seniors with dementia, the past and present often begin to blend. Seniors might recall the past with stunning clarity, making the present confusing for them to navigate. Time confusion can sometimes make seniors sad or agitated, because they may remember those old routines and events and want to do the things they did then.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can help validate seniors when they’re dealing with these challenges and gently help them to feel safe and understood.
Changes in Sleeping Habits
Because dementia often affects the brain’s internal clock, sleep issues can be common. Seniors with dementia may start to nap during the day or wake up later than they used to. This can throw off the rest of their sleep habits, making the problem even worse. Lack of sleep further complicates the problem because it contributes to further issues with cognitive functions.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can help seniors with dementia stick to their routines and get the sleep they need.
Changes in Concentration and Attention
Cognitive decline that comes with dementia also affects seniors’ abilities to concentrate and pay attention to what is going on around them. This makes it more difficult to keep track of time accurately. Seniors with dementia may find that they’re more easily distracted, which further affects their perception of time.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can help by guiding seniors into structured activities that they enjoy and find mentally stimulating.
Disorientation with time is a common problem for seniors with dementia. There are techniques that can help; however, Alzheimer’s home care providers can offer families the resources they need to help the seniors they love.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Peoria, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Blessings! for Seniors Companion Care today. Call (623) 594-0819
Blessings! for Seniors Companion Care is a top provider of home care services in Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Peoria, Litchfield Park, Sun City, Sun City West, Tolleson, Phoenix, Youngtown, Surprise, and surrounding areas.
Blessings for Seniors makes it possible for older adults to enjoy the comforts of their own home for as long as possible. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as; Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans’ Home Care program.
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