When someone you love begins to suffer from memory loss, it can be very scary for you and for your loved one. Have you considered that worries about Alzheimer’s and dementia can even take a serious toll on mental health? Let us discuss three tips for helping your loved one cope with his or her memory loss.
Be supportive and encouraging. Correcting your loved one for forgetting something that you or someone else said may do much more harm than good. You may not want your loved one to feel judged or embarrassed and shut down. You may want to take steps to be encouraging and supportive. It can be very frustrating to watch a family member suffer from memory loss, but it can be important to remember to try to make him or her feel safe. Your loved one cannot help this condition, and it can be important that he or she has your support.
Employ strategies to minimize the impact. Help your loved one establish routines so that some tasks can become a habit and may be less easy to forget. You can also encourage your loved one to write down important events and information in a little notebook that can be carried around so that he or she has key information should a memory lapse occur.
Enlist the help of an estate planning attorney. Although unlikely, on the forefront of your mind when dealing with a loved one’s memory loss, it can be important to enlist the help of an estate planning attorney to discuss elder care concerns and estate planning issues with your loved one while he or she is still able to do so. If an estate plan is not put in place and your loved one 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.
For legal support in the face of some of life’s biggest challenges, our office is here to help. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment.