Love this article. In hospice, working with end stage dementia patients, I often struggle to explain to family and caregivers that you can’t REASON with a demented person, and that their agitation or aggression may very well be symptoms of pain, even though they aren’t verbalizing that they have pain. UTI is of course also a very common culprit. Family members will sometimes say something like, “oh, they’re just being difficult, they were always this way.” It’s a defense mechanism, I think, because it’s hard for a family member to consider that their loved one is uncomfortable. Will pin this one and pass on, thanks!
My dad had dementia and one of the best memories I have with him in his final months was just listening to music with him. I put on his favorite Fleetwood Mac album and we just sat together and listened to it. He couldn’t get up anymore but he tapped his fingers to the music. I try to hold that memory in my mind above all the not so great ones towards the end.
Love this article. In hospice, working with end stage dementia patients, I often struggle to explain to family and caregivers that you can’t REASON with a demented person, and that their agitation or aggression may very well be symptoms of pain, even though they aren’t verbalizing that they have pain. UTI is of course also a very common culprit. Family members will sometimes say something like, “oh, they’re just being difficult, they were always this way.” It’s a defense mechanism, I think, because it’s hard for a family member to consider that their loved one is uncomfortable. Will pin this one and pass on, thanks!
My dad had dementia and one of the best memories I have with him in his final months was just listening to music with him. I put on his favorite Fleetwood Mac album and we just sat together and listened to it. He couldn’t get up anymore but he tapped his fingers to the music. I try to hold that memory in my mind above all the not so great ones towards the end.