10 Ways to Show Love to a Parent with Dementia

Dementia is a debilitating disease that not only affects the person diagnosed, but also everyone in their circle of support. As a daughter or son of a parent living with dementia, you might feel lost, helpless, and scared. You are not alone. Here are 10 ways to show love to your parent living with dementia.

1. Positivity- try to see the bright side in every situation and be an overall optimist. This will help your parent feel more comfortable and safe.
2. Independence- redirect your parent to tasks they can still do on their own and let them do as much as possible by themselves. This will help them feel like they still have some control over their life.
3. Reassurance- let your parent know that you are there for them and that you will never leave them alone. This will help them feel secure and loved.
4. Dignity- always treat your parent with respect and dignity, even when they are having a bad day. This will help them feel human and valued.
5. Reminiscing- take time to look at old photos and talk about shared memories together. This will help your parent feel connected to their past and loved ones.
6. Reablement- try to find new activities that your parent can do that they enjoy and are capable of doing. This will help them feel useful and needed.
7. Adaptability- be flexible and adaptable to changes in your parent’s condition. This will help them feel like you are truly understanding of their situation.
8. Companionship- provide physical and emotional companionship to your parent as often as possible This will help them feel less lonely and isolated.
9. Listening- truly listen to what your parent has to say, even if it doesn’t make sense. This will help them feel heard and understood .
10. Presence- just being present with your parent is sometimes the best thing you can do. This will helps show that you love spending time with them, no matter what activity you are doing (or not doing).

Showing love to a parent living with dementia might look different than it did before the diagnosis, but it is still possible (and important) to express love in many different ways.. By staying positive, reassuring, respectful, adaptable, companionate, present, and listening, you can showed your parent you care deeply for hem or her – now, more than ever before.