The CDC recommends staying home as much as possible to reduce your risk of being exposed. Use these tips to help reduce stress and feelings of isolation during your prolonged time at home with your loved one.
- Minimize Coronavirus information intake– If your loved one appears more agitated or anxious than normal it may be due to all the Coronavirus alerts they may be hearing. It is a stressful time for everyone, but for people with dementia who have a harder time processing information, hearing about Coronavirus can be that much more stress-inducing. Take notice of how much your loved one has been exposed to information about the Coronavirus from the television and your conversations. Turning the television off, keeping the channels on something light, or reducing your conversations about the Coronavirus may have a large impact on your loved one’s mood.
- Try to keep your loved one engaged with activities, depending on their abilities. Here are some examples of activities to do at home:
- Sorting, matching, and/or cards, towels, etc.
- Work on puzzles, dominoes, cards, checkers
- Outdoor activities – bird watching in the backyard or out the window
- Dance, simple exercise, chair exercise
- Watch videos of family members and friends from the past or look at photo albums
- Watch movies (ones without violence or scenes that could be stressful to watch)
- Listen to music and maybe have a singalong with your loved ones.
Try to get a longer supply of medication than usual. Many pharmacies will call the doctor directly to see if they can assist with getting an extended supply of medications.
