Does the thought of dementia family therapy bring more questions than answers to your mind? Many families are grappling with misconceptions about seeking professional support, fearing it might not address the unique, ever-shifting challenges of dementia care. However, the reality is far more hopeful.
Family therapy offers a rare chance for relief and understanding along this harrowing journey. It’s a step towards piecing together a life that feels fragmented by the unpredictable nature of dementia, transforming daily distress into manageable challenges. This avenue of support doesn’t just provide strategies for care; it offers encouragement, reinforcing that families do not have to navigate this path alone.
But there are also a lot of misunderstandings about what psychological therapy for dementia patients really involves, which can make it hard to see the benefits. So, let’s try to dispel some of the myths about dementia family therapy and explain how it can help those who are struggling to cope with dementia.
Understanding Dementia Family Therapy
Dementia family therapy is not a series of counseling sessions but a way to help families change the way they manage the challenges of a dementia diagnosis. It seeks to enhance communication and relationships between family members, resolve conflict, and cope with the emotional and practical difficulties of dementia care.
The therapy usually includes:
Individual and Family Sessions – Individual and family sessions create a space to talk without judgment, helping dementia patients understand how to cope with daily challenges and better connect with loved ones.
Educational Workshops – These workshops educate dementia patients and their family members about innovative coping methods. They link knowledge with applications and empower families with tools to manage dementia.
This whole-family intervention attempts to strengthen relationships and support family members to build the skills they need to live well with dementia on a day-to-day basis.
Common Misconceptions About Counseling Dementia Patients
Misconception 1: Therapy Is Only for Severe Cases
The first myth is that dementia family therapy is only required when things are all very bad—i.e., there has been a crisis that needs to be resolved. In fact, therapy can be beneficial at any stage of dementia; if families get help early, they will be able to cope better with the changes in a positive way, and minor difficulties are less likely to develop into a major conflict.
For example, the experience of one family who had managed to develop aids to communication that worked for them before the person with dementia had reached the more impaired stages where such things become progressively harder, had a huge difference to daily life – as well as making a huge difference to the person’s experience of dementia.
Misconception 2: Therapy Is a Sign of Failure
To ask for therapy is, to many people, to admit failure. Family care for dementia patients has a long way to go in changing the popular perception that you must be in ‘crises to attend – and asking for help is just a good thing. It’s what we do.
Above all, it will lead to better care. Just as in any medical condition, it is better to offer family care for dementia patients before problems escalate.
While most end up in nursing homes, family-based treatment empowers many, leading to greater perceived caregiving efficacy and stronger relationships.
Misconception 3: Therapy Only Focuses on Problems
Another myth is that therapy is a process of ‘airing’ problems and conflicts – yes, if these issues need to be addressed, they are. Still, most of the time is spent not talking about what is wrong but how to increase positive connections and improve communication between family members.
The family will learn to cope with dementia more successfully, they will celebrate their success, and they will develop a supportive network with each other.
Imagine a family who came in for therapy to learn how to communicate with each other, work out the conflicts they already have, and, perhaps most importantly, learn what they can do to build on what they already have in terms of their caregiving situation so that it can function more effectively.
Misconception 4: Therapy Is Too Time-Consuming
Another popular reason was the fear of not having time to do it (e.g., ‘I do not have time’ or ‘Time-consuming’). However, the psychology therapy for dementia patients that we run via ‘You And Me Aging’ is one of the most flexible forms of psychological therapy for dementia patients, and it can easily be fitted into each person’s lifestyle.
Delivered online, at the group meeting, or one-on-one at a private appointment, this therapy can be fitted in even the busiest lives with only minor disruption. For example, a family may meet by video conference in the evenings or on weekends, fitting their sessions around other commitments. They get the help they need without having to interrupt their lives.
Benefits of Dementia Family Therapy
- Improved Communication
One of the main benefits of dementia family therapy is better communication between family members. The therapy develops specific ways of speaking, along with an overall structure to help the family to express their feelings, talk about their concerns and, importantly, settle disagreements.
This reduces misunderstandings and increases more supportive exchanges between family members.
For families who participate in therapy, communication often improves—not just in coping with the challenges of caregiving but also in learning to care for each other better.
- Strengthened Relationships
Another advantage of therapy is that it helps people get along better with family members. Learning to deal with the challenges of dementia can strengthen the whole family. The teamwork and family cohesion that can result from shared learning can help make the challenges of caring more bearable.
For example, a family that has been in therapy might say that their collaborative efforts to support a family member with dementia resulted in a better understanding of the person and a stronger family.
- Better Coping Strategies
These include coping with the stress and emotional demands of dementia care and more specific forms of coping, such as stress reduction techniques, strategies for coping with challenging emotions and meeting the challenge of maintaining balance in one’s life. With this kind of coping, families can remain resilient and continue to provide good care for the person with dementia.
Perhaps, for example, a family learns new ways to manage their stress through therapy, which in turn enables them to provide better self-care and improved care for the person with dementia.
H3: How to Get Started with Dementia Family Therapy?
#1. Finding a Qualified Therapist
If you’re thinking about dementia family therapy, look for a therapist with dementia care experience who can help you adapt and thrive. You and Me Aging’s expert therapists know the secrets of successful therapies and treatments for dementia patients and caregivers.
If you’ve worked with such therapists, we’d love to hear your recommendations below.
Ask your GP to help identify a counsellor who has received training to work with patients with dementia, with experience of similar families. A good therapist will provide a safe space where families can explore their difficulties without being judged.
#2. Preparing for Therapy
Some of the things families can do before going to therapy include: Present concerns: What is going on right now in the family and from the family’s point of view, why is the family here talking with you? The family should be set to share their concerns and what they hope the therapist can help them with.
Goals: The family should know what they want to achieve during therapy sessions.
Openness: The family should be willing to learn new methods and approaches.
Indeed, it is helpful to draw up an agenda of the issues you wish to work on before you start and discuss with the therapist what you hope to get out of the sessions. This will also enable you to structure your sessions.
Setting Goals for Therapy
Finally, having a clear goal for therapy can help therapy be useful. Possible goals include ‘communicating better’, ‘fighting less often’, or ‘learning ways to help him’. Tracking these goals and monitoring whether therapy is moving towards them helps families ensure that therapy benefits them.
For example, a goal of improving communication could focus on specific skills, such as learning specific ways of expressing feelings or a script for addressing conflict, and checking in on these goals regularly can allow us to monitor progress and adjust the course of treatment.
Find The Best Family Care For Dementia Patients At You And Me Aging
While dealing with dementia is a complex task, dementia family therapy turns out to be a precious help in managing this terrible pandemic that concerns thousands and thousands of families. In You And Me Aging you will discover more about the work we have been doing, debunking myths, raising awareness, providing the tools and the knowledge to manage dementia and drastically reduce the stress related to the condition.
Get in touch with You And Me Aging and explore ways to make more sense of your loved one’s journey with dementia through personalized support and strategies. We can help you and your family to flourish with dementia.
Contact us to learn more.
