Your loved one living with dementia might notice changes to their memory, behaviour, rational thinking and ability to communicate. It can be difficult for some people to immediately engage with services, but there are things you can do to help your loved one even before commencing therapy.

Dementia intervention is a whole community approach. It is important that family and friends are involved and aware of strategies to help your loved one maintain their independence and sense of purpose within their community. Change starts in the home, so start by implementing some of the below strategies within your family, and make sure you are using them for yourself too!

Create an accessible home:

🏠 Surround your loved one with familiar items, décor and photographs to maintain a sense of identity and comfort.

🏠 Ensure your environment is easy to navigate. Keep the space uncluttered and organised, with plenty of natural light.

🏠 Avoid lighting that creates dark spots or shadows as these can cause disorientation.

🏠 Use clear labels, incorporating visuals where possible.

🏠 Reduce noise and echo in living spaces.

Adjust your communication:

💬 Keep language clear, concise, and straightforward to make it easier for your loved one to follow.

💬 Gain eye contact, use body language, facial expressions and gesture to reinforce what is being spoken.

💬 Consider introducing yourself to your friend each time you meet, such as ‘Hi Jules, it’s Helen from pilates, how are you?’.

💬 Avoid overwhelming your loved one with complex information. Break down instructions into simple steps, using visuals wherever you can.

💬 Use real objects or pictures to support your message.

💬 Be patient, give your loved one extra time to process what has been said, give choices and rephrase information instead of repeating the same thing.

Use memory tools:

📝 Maintain a predictable routine.

📝 Use a large, family calendar to display appointments and track the days of the week.

📝 Ensure clocks and watches are readily available, with alarms set for medications or other important tasks.

📝 Keep a pen and note pad by the phone and always put the keys in the same place as you walk in the door!

📝 Sticky notes can be great for reminding your loved one about specific tasks, like ‘lock the door’.

Encourage independence:

🛠️ Involve your loved one in daily tasks, like adding items to the shopping list or hanging the coats on the hook.

🛠️ Ask for help. Give your loved one a written and/or picture-based list of fruit needed at the supermarket, while you stay close shopping for vegetables.

🛠️ Remind your loved one that it’s their son’s birthday and check-in to see whether they’ve sent the birthday text or email yet.

🛠️ Set up opportunities for your loved one to genuinely contribute to running the home with minimal help needed. This might include weeding the garden, washing the cups, folding the tea towels or wiping the grandchildren’ toys.

Stay connected:

👥 Encourage continued participation in any social or recreational activities, even if adaptations are necessary.

👥 Access the community frequently and provide opportunity for your loved one to help with the shopping, making a cup of tea and ordering your coffees.

👥 Maintain friendships and family relationships by sharing memories and looking back at special photos or home videos.

👥 Play games that promote thinking skills. Be mindful of adaptations you can make to games, like removing time pressures, avoiding new or unfamiliar games and selecting games that a range of ages can participate. Family games such as Scrabble or Bananagrams, Pictionary, Charades, Memory, Snap, puzzles, Bingo, noughts and crosses, Go Fish or Scattegories can be great options.

Create a legacy:

🌱 Talk about childhood, careers, friends, holidays, lifechanging or memorable events. Listen actively and show genuine curiosity.

🌱 Collect photographs, videos, music and keepsakes. Label people in photographs and jot a sentence about what occurred in each picture.

🌱 Write down your loved ones’ life story.

🌱 Check-in and see if they want to leave letters or notes for any family or friends for future milestones, like 50th birthdays or high school graduation.

Useful tools and resources:

📖 A personalised ‘Life Story Book’ can help your loved one feel connected even when their memory changes.

📖 An’ About Me Book’ informs carers and nurses of your loved one’s likes, dislikes and preferences when they are no longer able to verbalise these themselves.

📖 High-tech (phones, tablets, devices) and low-tech (paper-based or real objects) communication and memory tools help your loved one remain independent within their own home.

📖 Visual routine aides can help your loved one remember to brush their teeth, make their own cup of tea and check they have their phone, wallet and keys before leaving the house.