Understanding every dementia patient’s longing for home

Understanding every dementia patient’s longing for home

For most seniors living with dementia, the idea of home may not necessarily be the place where they are staying at the moment.

Rather, home may be a temporary feeling of warmth, familiarity, and happiness—something that may be very difficult to find if you are constantly overwhelmed with feelings of discomfort, confusion, and distress.

Seniors with dementia may insist on “going home” several times in a day. Here are some things to know and do when confronted by this situation.

Watch the video below to find out more:

Ask them what’s bothering them

People with dementia keep wanting to go home when they feel a sense of anxiety, insecurity, depression, or fear.

Often, the request to go home should be seen as a longing for comfort. Ask them if they are feeling some kind of pain or discomfort. They may be feeling hungry, thirsty, or bored. This may also be a sign of sundowning, or wanting to use the restroom, or an undiscovered health condition (e.g. UTI, headache, arthritic pain, etc).

Reassure them with your touch

Touch therapy plays a huge role in helping reassure seniors with dementia of their safety.

An act of communication, touch therapy tilts a person’s response away from stress and anxious thoughts. Research reveals that comforting touch can help diminish stress and anxiety levels, and improve quality of life and emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being

Never argue that they are “already home”

As mentioned a while ago, the idea of home for most seniors with dementia may not necessarily be a place but rather pleasant memories that evoke feelings of calm, peace, and happiness.

Encourage them to talk to you more about what they want to do or what will make them happy at that moment. This may help you address the situation and eliminate anything that gives them an unpleasant feeling.

Be creative in diverting their attention

Some people have ready photographs on hand to divert a senior person with dementia’s attention away from their current state of discomfort.
This is also the time when you need most the presence, understanding, and support of the other family users.

You may also use other things, like food, music, or leisure activities (like reading, walking, or crafts), to keep them preoccupied.

Seniors living with dementia, particularly those experiencing the illness in that later stages, may be going through a whirlwind of emotions and anxiety for most parts of the day. Knowing how to respond and what kind of help you can get can be very instrumental in helping your loved ones live more comfortable everyday lives.

Read next:

5 steps to do when memory care becomes overwhelming