COVID-19′s affect on patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The coronavirus pandemic and all the precautions that come along with it are taking a toll on those those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

There are many questions that arise when we think of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients during this time: How will they remember to wash their hands? How will they recognize masked faces? How will they make sense of a global pandemic?

According to Annette Clark from the Alzheimer’s Association, the biggest concern of all comes back to mental health.

“The person that’s living with dementia that doesn’t understand what’s going on, doesn’t understand why their family members not there to visit,” Clark said.

Clark says it is the increased isolation and severe shift in routine that can be detrimental and lead to setbacks.

“We know that individuals stay more cognitively inclined when they stay active, when they stay engaged, when they keep those synapses firing,” she said. “We don’t want people to lose abilities due to inactivity.”

Programs like Zoom and Skype has provided an alternative to face-to-face interaction for some, but not all.

“Family members have been able to use technology successfully,” Clark said. “But for others, what we have seen is technology has not been as helpful.”

Clark points out that a more advanced dementia patient living in an assisted living facility may become more distressed due to many sudden changes.

“They may wonder why staff members are suddenly wearing masks and and protective equipment all the time and that can be very confusing for that person living with dementia,” she said.

Clark encourages everyone to help those who feel their world has flipped upside down.

“It might be puzzles or things that they do,” she said. “We also have memory cafe groups that continue to meet so those individuals living with the disease can call and chat with other people that are living with a diagnosis.”

She urges caregivers to reach out for help too, as they carry most of the weight on their shoulders.

“Having a loved one that you’re providing care and support for with dementia can be isolating anyway and then you layer on all the distancing that COVID-19 is requiring then those caregivers are really feeling the stress.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is looking for virtual volunteers to help people stay connected. Visit www.alz.org to learn more.