Advice For Visiting Residents With Dementia

Dementia can affect memory, communication and behaviour, making interactions sometimes emotionally challenging for you and your loved one.

This guide offers practical advice to help you have a more positive experience when visiting your loved one in a care home. Recognising your loved one’s needs and adjusting your approach can stimulate a meaningful connection and provide comfort, making your time together more pleasant.

Plan Your Visit Around Their Routine

As many individuals with dementia rely on daily structure, aligning your visit with your loved one’s routine is the most effective way to ensure a pleasant visit for all parties involved. Before arriving, talk with the staff or caregivers about your loved one’s schedule and overall temperament.

They can tell you when is best in the day to come or if your loved one is not feeling up to visitors for some reason. This way, you can adjust your visit to when they are more likely to engage and enjoy your company, enhancing the quality of your time together.

Keep Visits Short

Frequent visits can comfort your loved ones, giving them a sense of familiarity and stability. However, lengthy visits may be too tiring and overwhelming for them. Therefore, it’s worth noting that quality time is better than quantity. When engaging, it’s essential to be mindful of your loved one’s energy levels and not overwhelm them with too much.

Communicate clearly with short and straightforward sentences, stay present and spend little time distracted by your phone. This can help keep interaction flowing and achieve a positive and pleasant experience.

Create a Calm and Comfortable Atmosphere

If your loved one is feeling overwhelmed or sensitive to sensory input, try to avoid areas that can be overly stimulating and noisy. Though its weather is dependent, you might want to consider finding a tranquil space outside to give your loved one a change of scenery.

To ensure your loved one continues to feel at ease, maintain a relaxed tone of voice and express through gentle body language. In moments when words may fall short, a gentle physical touch, like holding hands, if they seem open to it, can also bring comfort and reassurance.

Bring Familiar Items to Spark Memories

When visiting your loved one in a dementia care home, it’s worth bringing familiar items that may evoke positive memories. This can significantly enhance your time together, for it may lift your loved one’s mood or help to facilitate conversation.

Music, in particular, has been shown to have a powerful effect on individuals with dementia, for it is a way of transporting people back to a specific memory. Singing a song can be an enjoyable and uplifting activity to experience together.

Engage in Simple, Enjoyable Activities

Many individuals with dementia find comfort and pleasure in repetitive, hands-on tasks. To provide various sensory experiences, you could try activities like building a puzzle together, sculpting with clay or other forms of arts and crafts.

These activities help your loved one to feel productive and improve social interaction without becoming overwhelmed. If mobility permits, a short walk outside to enjoy nature can also be a relaxing and refreshing option for you all to benefit from.

Bring a Calm and Friendly Pet

If the dementia care home permits it, bringing in a calm, friendly pet like a dog, cat or rabbit can be a great comfort and joy for your loved one. Pets can provide soothing companionship and offer a connection that doesn’t rely on verbal communication.

The act of petting or stroking an animal can also bring peace and comfort, reduce anxiety, encourage engagement and even trigger positive emotions and memories.