Your tips: helping someone with pandemic rules and signs while out and about

[HarrietD]

Every issue our magazine includes real life experiences, and they'd like to hear from you.

Do you have tips for supporting a person with dementia who's struggling to follow different pandemic rules and signs while out and about?

For example, there might be confusion around:

• Different rules being followed in different shops, cafes and other places - some ask you to do more than other places, and some people show more caution than others
• Signs with ambiguous wording e.g. 'it's your choice, but we'd appreciate it if you'd...'

Please add your comments below, and they may be featured in the next issue of the magazine.

Thanks everyone

 

[Kaths]

My Mum wears a sunflower lanyard that we were given in M&S last year. I would recommend it as we've seldom been challenged about anything, most people respect what it stands for.

 

[HarrietD]

Thanks @Kaths I'm really glad to hear the sunflower lanyard has been helpful.

 

[Unsure2021]

Not a tip more of an issue with rules.
My oh can't make the decision whether to wear a mask or not for himself, he waits until we are at the shop and can see what everyone else is doing.
Or if I put my mask on before we get there he will copy me.

 

[HarrietD]

That's useful to know, thanks for sharing your experience of what your OH does @Unsure2021.

 

[Shazza61]

My Dad has vascular dementia and struggles to remember to keep his mask on and what it’s for. He doesn’t understand the pandemic. We have to keep reminding him and if he talks he pulls it down as he thinks we can’t understand him if it’s over his mouth/nose. As a family we have all decided to keep wearing masks.

 

[jennifer1967]

i agree that the sunflower lanyard solved a lot of problems and stopped people judging and giving him a hard time about not being able to wear masks.

 

[HarrietD]

Thank you @Shazza61 and @jennifer1967 for sharing your experiences. It sounds like the sunflower lanyard has been helpful for a few of you, which is great to hear

 

[DazeyDoris]

My Dad has vascular dementia and struggles to remember to keep his mask on and what it’s for. He doesn’t understand the pandemic. We have to keep reminding him and if he talks he pulls it down as he thinks we can’t understand him if it’s over his mouth/nose. As a family we have all decided to keep wearing masks.

This is exactly what my husband is like who has Alzheimer's. There's an added complication in that he sees on TV that you don't have to wear masks in shops but we're in Wales where they're still mandatory. Also our son who's living with us atm had Covid and my husband kept mentioning our son's sore throat even though we kept saying it's coronavirus. When we were doing our PCR tests (negative thank goodness) he just didn't understand even though he has Sky news on all day.

 

[sarahmcc]

I was sceptical about Essential Carer status - it sounded too good to be true. My Grandmother-in-Law's care home went into lock down for what we later discovered was a staff member having covid and no residents. I'm glad they're cautious, but they confined everyone to their rooms, and now my GIL thinks she's not allowed to leave still. The home didn't tell us about Essential Carer status and I had to be really firm with them to get my Mother-in-Law access after 3 weeks of her seeing no family. My GIL was much worse from the destress and isolation. My MIL can now she her regularly no matter the situation, rather than once a week if they allow it. I would recommend it for those who are double jabbed and treat the virus with the caution it needs.

 

[lushr]

print a sign on the front door to remember mask, keys, phone.
hang mask next to front door.
tell them everything is closed.
take the car in for tune up, and claim it needs major repairs… they shouldn’t be driving.
or “lose” the car key
get groceries delivered online