Things to Remember When Someone You Love Has Dementia

 Be educated about the disease. Learning as much as you can about the progression of dementia can help you empathize with and understand your loved one. 

• Be realistic in your expectations for yourself and your loved one. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic ex-pectations as your loved one struggles with dementia. 
• Don’t argue with your loved one. Arguing with your loved one about a forgotten memory will only upset them and fur-ther frustrate you. Be willing to let most things to. 
• Give them independence when possible. As tempting as it may be to do everything for your loved one, it is important for them to do as many things as possible by their selves. 
• Have fun! Your loved one can still have fun. 
• Remember that your loved one is more than the disease. Hold on to who you know they are, before the diagnosis. 
• Use every method of communication to reach your loved one through the disease. Art, music and reading are all ways to connect when verbal expression is no longer an option. Even a simple touch on their arm can help communicate love.