Dementia Patients Should Be Allowed to Complete Chores

Families and healthcare professionals taking care of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease oftentimes rush to help these individuals even in situations where their help is not needed. A new study shows that this approach does more harm than good for the patients.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative form of dementia that adversely affects memory and higher cognitive functions. However, the disease progresses slowly, and there are still many chores and daily tasks that a patient can fulfill for many years before they start to fail, PsychCentral reports.

“Caregivers are basing their behaviors partially on their beliefs rather than basing their behaviors on the actual needs and the actual abilities of the people that they’re interacting with,” scientists at the University of Alberta, in Canada, say.

They add that a significant difference exists between help patterns that promote patients' dependency on those around them, and patterns that promote independence for as long as possible.