Dementia: The Caregiver’s Journey
Caring for a person with dementia is a journey quite unlike any other. Over the course of years, the caregiver and the person they care for share an incredibly challenging and remarkable experience. In the beginning, as the person first begins to notice symptoms, and is eventually diagnosed, there is grief, anxiety, and often an overwhelming sense of finality that encompasses both the person with dementia and the people they love. The role of the caregiver is less about performing daily tasks and more about providing memory support when needed…. More about just being there. But then the disease progresses. The person with dementia looses more skills. They may become more easily confused or agitated when the demands of a task or situation outpace their abilities. The caregiver has to walk a delicate line…. Balancing the need for continued independence with the proper level of assistance, management of the environment, simplification of tasks. It can be incredibly demanding and confu