We hear a lot of people admit that they are scared of talking to an individual with dementia – quite often their own family members. That fear can come from different places: not knowing what to say, fear that they will not remember you, and fear that they are no longer the person you have always loved. Living with dementia in the family is hard, and the first step is overcoming the fear.
In some cases, one member of the family may feel a duty to ‘protect’ other family members, and ask them not to visit the loved one with dementia. This is an effort to preserve the memory of the individual as the way they were when they had their health.
While the fear of visiting your loved one with dementia is a very real emotion, you risk regretting not seeing them or spending time together while you can. In many cases, visiting during the right time of day can allow for a very pleasant visit with enough moments together that you will be grateful you overcame that fear.
Try to overcome your fear and go see your loved one – you may be thinking that they won’t remember, but you certainly will. And you will cherish your memories together, no matter what.
As the top provider of home care assistance in Victoria and the surrounding areas, our dementia care team is here to help when there is dementia in the family. Contact us to learn more.