Personal care means things like eating, bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, and using the bathroom. A person with dementia may need help with personal care. As dementia gets worse, they will need more and more help.
When helping with personal care for people with dementia, imagine what it might be like to be them. They might feel ashamed to need so much help. They might feel confused or scared. They might feel like they have no privacy.
To help with those feelings, be patient and gentle and try to have a sense of humor. It also helps to be creative. For example, for bathing it can help to put a picture in the shower of something the person likes. That might help them feel more relaxed when bathing. For dressing, if there is a piece of clothing the person likes, buy several of them so they can wear the same outfit every day. For eating, serve their favorite foods.
Table 1 below shows how you can help in the early stage of dementia.
Table 1: Giving Personal Care in the Early Stage of Dementia
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What the Person Might Do
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Helpful Things To Do
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Giving Emotional Help
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Keeping Safe
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Can do most things, but...
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Tables 2 and 3 show how you can help in the middle and late stages of dementia.
Table 2: Giving Personal Care in the Middle Stages of Dementia
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What the Person Might Do
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Helpful Things To Do
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Giving Emotional Help
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Keeping Safe
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Table 3: Giving Personal Care in the Late Stage of Dementia
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What the Person Might Do
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Helpful Things To Do
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Giving Emotional Help
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Keeping Safe
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Useful Websites
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Written By: Kelly A. Raach, Alzheimer's Association - Desert Southwest Chapter