Understanding Mild Cognitive Impairment

Since mild cognitive impairment can often be an early indicator of dementia, having a better understanding of what it is and how it affects you may help you receive an early diagnosis and slow the progression of dementia.

What Is Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is when an older adult experiences minor memory or thinking challenges that aren’t age-related or typical of other adults. Some signs of MCI include consistently losing or misplacing items, forgetting about appointments, or having trouble remembering common words or phrases.

MCI is not dementia. While it has similar memory and thinking challenges that come with dementia, people with MCI don’t experience the movement or personality changes that a person with dementia develops.

MCI can be an early sign of potential dementia development, but not everyone with MCI gets dementia. Researchers are still trying to understand the link between MCI and dementia.

Caring For Someone With Mild Cognitive Impairment

MCI can make it challenging for individuals to care for themselves, especially if they’re having trouble remembering essential things like taking prescription medication or doctor’s appointments. If you think a loved one may have MCI, consider these tips to help care for them.

Practice Patience And Compassion

Caring for someone with MCI can be frustrating at times. There will be days when you’ll have to repeat yourself or do things multiple times for a loved one. While feeling frustrated is natural and okay, it’s important to practice patience and compassion. Remind yourself that your loved one is not in full control of their memory, and they aren’t trying to be difficult.

Spend Time With Them

Your loved one is still your loved one, regardless of their cognitive capacity. Try not to spend every moment with them as their caregiver but as their family member or friend. Enjoy activities together, have a home-cooked meal, talk about your favorite books, or snuggle up on the couch for a movie marathon. Sometimes, spending time with your loved one is the greatest gift you can give them.

Take Care Of Yourself

You can’t expect to take care of a loved one if you don’t first take care of yourself. While it can be difficult to prioritize yourself, it is important to meet your essential needs. Every day, you want to ensure you get enough sleep, eat full meals, stay hydrated, and engage in activities and hobbies that bring you joy.

Encourage Professional Assistance

Your loved one may reach a point where it’s unsafe for them to live alone without assistance, especially if their MCI is developing into dementia. If you notice red flags in their living situation, such as an overly messy home or a lack of personal care, it may be time for them to hire professional assistance.

Professional assistance doesn’t mean your loved one has to go to a memory care or assisted living facility. It may mean they have a part-time or full-time caregiver come to their home to help with daily tasks so they can continue living independently in a safe environment.

Dementia Care With Visiting Angels

At Visiting Angels, we understand it can become overwhelming to care for a loved one with dementia. Whether your loved one is in the early or late stages of dementia or has mild cognitive impairment, our team of compassionate caregivers is here to help.

We work with families and seniors throughout Cullman, Alabama, and the surrounding areas, providing specialized dementia care services to those in need. Our dementia-specific home care program offers individualized support with light housekeeping, personal care, and companionship.

You can learn more about our dementia care services by contacting our Cullman office.