Whether due to dementia, depression, or other issues of aging, memory loss is a common obstacle for seniors and those who care for them. While the severity of memory loss can vary from person to person, it’s common for individuals to become frustrated, confused, or upset whenever they have trouble recalling something. Fortunately, if you provide senior care for somebody with memory loss, following these strategies can help improve the way you communicate and tend to their daily needs.

5 Tips to Help Seniors With Memory Loss

1. Practice Patience

Knowing that your loved one may encounter roadblocks while having conversations or performing tasks, it’s important to adjust your expectations. Whenever you communicate, speak clearly and allow them enough time to respond. Also, remember to avoid getting angry if the individual cannot remember something. With this approach, your loved one will likely feel more comfortable in their environment.

2. Make Important Information Accessible

Important information—such as medication instructions or emergency phone numbers—should be set in a clear and obvious place. For example, you might put a medication list by the medicine cabinet or set the address book by the phone. This will help your loved one conveniently find the details they if they forget them.   

3. Stick to a Schedule

If you oversee most aspects of your loved one’s senior care, try to develop a schedule for them that can remain mostly the same from day-to-day. By waking up, getting ready, running errands, and eating meals at the same time every day, your loved one will establish a routine that makes it easier to remember when to do certain activities.

4. Stay Engaged

Even if your loved one is unable to recall critical details, you should find ways to keep them engaged in conversation. Using good body language, making eye contact, and asking yes-or-no questions are all easy ways to help seniors feel seen and heard. Ongoing communication can also help stimulate cognitive processes and keep memory-related parts of the brain active.

5. Simplify Instructions

Memory loss can make it difficult for seniors to accomplish tasks—especially those that involve a lot of steps. That’s why it helps to deliver instructions in the clearest and simplest way possible—sometimes one task at a time. If verbal instructions are too overwhelming, consider making an easy-to-read list that they can reference if they hit a roadblock.

Apart from following the above tips, seeking additional help from Visiting Angels is a great way to address memory loss concerns in older loved ones. Providing comprehensive elder care services in the Greater Akron area, this agency can connect you to compassionate in-home caregivers who know how to support many aspects of senior living in a stress-free fashion. For more details on these services, visit this senior care agency online. To arrange elder home care in and around the Medina, OH, area, call a friendly representative at (330) 723-0300.