Dementia care is not as easy as it sounds.

Dementia is a difficult and mostly incurable medical condition that strikes usually at old age and manifests in symptoms like loss of memory, impaired judgment and cognitive/rational faculties, irritability, loss of control over bowel and bladder actions, change in emotional responsiveness, altered personality, mood and behavioral pattern, display of aggressive or violent behavior, inappropriate sexual conduct, wandering, clinging tendencies, hallucinations, delusions, problems in communicating, eating, sleeping etc.

Dealing with symptoms like these especially in one who has grown very old becomes an uphill task for most people who have family members suffering from this living death.

The first step in dementia care is to realize that the afflicted person is helpless and you have to be very patient and kind with him, instead of losing temper or feeling frustrated or giving up. Remember the patient is now completely dependent on you.

Treat the patient with the dignity and respect that a normal person with feelings deserves.

Try to establish a routine (for the patient) of taking meals and washing and entering the toilet at fixed times, doing some physical exercises or activities that would keep him happy and help him sleep at night. Replace confusion with structure and order.

Try to make him as independent as possible which will help him maintain his dignity and esteem. Give him a pet for companionship and let him take care of it.

Simplify his tasks so that it cuts out stress and confusion from his life.

Try to avoid conflicts and confrontations as much as possible. Don't always pin point his failures and mistakes and make him feel small. You should be empathetic.