As the caregiver for your loved one, stay supportive and encouraging. Do not correct your loved one because he or she forgot something that you or someone else said, it may cause more harm than good. Also, guard against your loved one feeling judged or embarrassed and, therefore, shut down. You should take steps to remain cheerful and invigorated in the care of your loved one. It can be very sad and frustrating to watch your loved one suffer from dementia, so be sure to keep a motivating and understanding attitude. Most important, always remember to make your loved one feel safe. Keep in mind that your loved one cannot help his or her condition, and your loved one needs to know you are there for him or her.
To minimize the impact of dementia on your loved one try to develop some strategies. For example, begin to establish routines so that some tasks can become a habit and, therefore, be less easy to forget. Get a notebook for your loved one that can be carried around so that he or she can write down important events and details and have key information should a memory lapse occur.
Another key idea is to take the time to meet with your Florida estate planning attorney. We know that as the caregiver you are dealing with a lot, but it can be important to enlist the help of an estate planning attorney. Your attorney will discuss elder care concerns and estate planning issues with your loved one while he or she is still able to do so. Unfortunately, if an estate plan is not put in place and your loved one’s suffering from memory loss becomes so impaired that he or she is unable to make sound decisions, estate planning and long-term care may be much more difficult to establish.
We know you may have questions about this, and many other, elder care issues. At the Perlin Estate Planning & Probate our credentials enable us to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to our legal services. By building relationships with our clients, we are also able to understand each client’s needs and desires, and we support such goals through thoughtful, comprehensive planning techniques. We encourage you to contact us and schedule a meeting.