Shannan Mosley
Director and CEO
Lots Of Love Home Care Agency, LLC
2800 Glades Circle
Suite # 128
Weston, FL 33327
954-500-LOVE (5683)
Watching your loved one battle dementia is one of the most challenging battles to watch since you feel completely out of control. The first time I experienced this with a loved one, I was determined to get as much information as possible so that I would understand what was happening. My mantra has always been knowledge is power. I set out to learn more about dementia. I noticed that my loved one started showing signs of frustration, paranoia, and anger. She was frustrated because we didn’t quite understand. She was confused, and so were we; at times, we got frustrated. I realized that the first thing we had to do was not just listen with our ears but take cues from our eyes and a loving heart. Listen to your loved ones and try to figure out what they’re trying to say. When asking them questions, give them options instead of open-ended questions. When giving directions, start with one thing at a time. You may have to repeat yourself more than once, but that’s OK. Remember they are as frustrated as you are. Although this was challenging, I found paranoia to be the hardest. Since my loved one lived alone, she often called the police because she thought people were breaking into her home. Other times she accused ‘visitors’ like family members of stealing common place items such as toilet paper or sugar. I learned to just listen and reassure her that she was in good hands. I also sent a lot of thank you notes to my local police station. Just keep in mind that it is paranoia and not to take it personally. After all, remember ‘monsters under the bed’? Who didn’t check twice or three times when asked by a young child? I take that same approach to my loved ones and the clients we take care of as well.
