Watching someone you love go through something as scary and unpredictable as dementia is extremely difficult. This can be further complicated if you’ve become their primary caregiver, and have to think about their living arrangement, how they’re going to manage throughout the day, or if you should hire professional caregivers. To help work through some of the emotions as well as the practical steps you may have to take, here are some worksheets that can help guide you through this difficult time.
One helpful tip is to print the ones you feel are particularly useful and keep them around the house, or for some of them, you may want to keep printing them out every month or so in order to fill them out as needed continually.
Understanding what dementia is (and then relaying it to others)
You or your loved one’s doctor should be your first source for information on dementia and what to expect. But if you feel like you still have questions or still don’t have a solid grasp on what to expect, here are some general sheets with helpful information. We’ve also included worksheets for how to talk to other people, particularly children, about dementia.
- Information for Family and Friends
- How To Talk To Young People About Dementia
- Information on Changed Behaviors From Your Loved One
Taking care of them
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things you have to think about, plan, and do when your loved one is diagnosed with dementia. To make the process much simpler, here are worksheets that can help you track things like their activities, doctors visits, as well as help sheets for what to consider when you’re making big decisions.
- Communication Tips For Talking With Someone Suffering From Dementia
- Daily Routine Worksheet For Loved One
- Worksheet to Track Medical Appointments and Treatments/Medication
- Worksheet to Track Loved One’s Symptoms
When we are so focused on taking care of a loved one, we very often neglect ourselves. We sacrifice our own health and wellness to be there for our loved ones, which while well-intentioned is doing a disservice to yourself and possibly to people around you in the long term. There will need to be sacrifices along the way, such as you may need to live with your parent for a time, or take days off from work occasionally, but you also need time to reset and refresh your mental health.
Taking care of yourself
To help you, here are some worksheets that focus on ensuring that during this difficult process, you are still taking care of you.
Coping with dementia as a family is a long and difficult process. But with the help given above, we hope you can feel a little bit of the burden taken off your shoulders. For more help planning or after losing a loved one, sign up for Peacefully today.
