Dehydration is one of the biggest challenges facing anyone caring for someone who is older or living with dementia. Many older people are known to be chronically short of fluid in their bodies, leading to urinary tract infections and many…
Tag: eating
Catching some z’s
There are few things more closely associated with wellbeing than a good night’s sleep. It is something many of us take for granted until it is disturbed by the people or environment around us, or when those dreaded nights of…
Hard to swallow
Something that is sadly very common in advanced dementia is the decline of the swallowing reflex. The condition, known as dysphagia, is extremely distressing for both the person affected and those caring for them, and can be fatal, either directly…
A ‘can do’ attitude
Watching Paralympians you cannot help but be inspired by their ‘can do’ attitude. For these athletes, there is no barrier too great or no dream they cannot fulfil, which for a society that so often sees the negative before the…
The sun is out!
There were many occasions during my father’s nine years in three different care homes when I honestly wondered if having dementia was a byword for keeping people in captivity. Day after day, week after week, residents were kept cooped up…