How to respond to memory loss

How to respond to memory loss?

In this lesson you can practice several ways to respond to

memory loss and find out what may help you deal with it.

Let’s have a look at an example

Faiza is living with dementia. She has a daughter named Halima . They live very close to each other. When Halima goes to visit Faiza’s house, she notices that the fridge or cupboard is empty. Faiza often forgets what she usually buys from the market.

The person you care for might also forget other things. The same goes for Faiza.

1. Check your understanding

Forgetting to buy groceries.

How would you advise Halima to deal with her mother’s memory loss?
Please check all the responses that you feel are appropriate from the list below.

Ask a neighbour to go with Faiza once a week to the market to buy groceries.
This might be helpful. Faiza will have groceries and a nice visit with the neighbour.

Create a memory aid together with Faiza, e.g. a list of groceries that Faiza needs to buy and put the list in a place where it can be seen, so that it is easy to access.
This is a good response. It addresses Faiza’s memory loss and may become a weekly shared pleasant activity.

Go out and buy groceries immediately.
This answer is not so goodbecause it is a panic reaction and a one-time solution. It does not solve the problem at hand.

Ask: “Mama, what’s wrong with you, there is no food in the house”.
This answer is not so goodgood because Faiza cannot help that she forgets to buy food and may feel embarrassed that she has done something wrong. It does not improve the situation.

Sit down with Faiza and make a list of groceries. Go shopping together.
This answer may be a good one because Halima is addressing her mother’s needs. However, she might first want to try another approach. For example, with a list of groceries that her mother may still be able to go shopping without help.

Let’s look at another example

Halima and Faiza are talking on the phone. Halima notices that Faiza often forgets what she normally does during the day. Halima is impatient with Faiza, and tells her mother, “this is getting worse”.

2. Check your understanding

Forgetting daily activities.

What do you think Halima’s response should be?
Please check all the responses that you feel are appropriate from the list below.

Tell her mother what to do over the phone.
This response is not so good because her mother may not understand or be able to follow a phone conversation

Ask her mother what she usually does on that given day. For example, Monday is wash day; Thursday is going to the market day.
This response may be a good one because Halima can use this information to remind her mother.

Move in with her mother.
This is not the right response. There are several other less drastic approaches that Halima has not yet tried.

Go straight over and take charge of the situation, by ordering her mother around.
This response is not so good because it is a one-time solution and does not solve the problem at hand.

Plan to visit Faiza every weekend and write out to-do lists for every day of the week.
This is a good response because it may help her mother to remember.

Hire someone to stay with her mother all the time.
This is not the right response There are several less drastic approaches that Halima has not tried yet.

Ask her mother while on the phone to get a pencil and paper. Talk through the plan for the day together.
This is a good response because it may help her mother to remember. Halima could call her mother every morning at a certain time and ask her to get a pencil and paper and to plan her day together.

Sometimes memory loss can be more serious, like in the

next example.

Let’s look at an example

Halima comes to visit and discovers that Faiza is having trouble remembering which medications to take and at what time.

3. Check your understanding

Forgetting medication.

How do you think Halima should respond to this situation?
Please check all the responses that you feel are appropriate from the list below.

Halima puts notes near the clock when her mother needs to take a pill.

This may be good to dobecause a memory aid could help Faiza remember to take her pills.

Halima says, “Mama, how could you forget your medications?”, and “you know you really need them to stay healthy!”

This response isnot helpful because Faiza cannot help that she forgets to take her medications. Memory loss is part of her disease.

Halima goes through the medicine cabinet, sits down and cries about her mother’s memory loss.
This isnot the way to dealwith her mother’s memory loss. Getting upset will not solve her mother’s problem of forgetting to take medications.

Halima goes over the medications with her mom. She purchases a pill box and puts the pills in the box at the right day and time and calls her mom every day to instruct her to take her medications.
This is agood response because this memory aid might help Faiza to take medications at the right day and time. Some pill reminder boxes come with alarms that are pre-set to remind the person to independently take their medications.

2.Activity

Let’s look at your own situation

It is important to apply what you have learned to your own situation. How could you respond to help the person you care for deal with their memory loss? Write down some ideas.

Lesson 2. Memory loss

How to respond to memory loss

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