SE Impact
Our Care Integrators (CI) have been closely involved in supporting elders living with cognitive decline. Over time, dementia can bring significant changes to an older adult’s life. Familiar tasks become difficult, conversations may become less frequent, and activities that once brought pleasure can fall away. For families, caring for a loved one can also mean stepping in more often, sometimes without realising how much independence and agency may be lost.
One of our members has been living with vascular dementia alongside high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and the effects of a knee replacement surgery. Her husband, also a Support Elders member, remained closely involved in her care.
When our CI began working with her, she first sought to understand what the member could still do and what continued to interest her. She encouraged her to participate in household activities, make choices about her routine, and give instructions to her personal caregiver rather than simply receive assistance. A former teacher at a reputed Army school, our member had once been an avid reader and enjoyed playing the sitar. Our CI encouraged her to reconnect with these interests. Music, storytelling, and brain-gym activities provided opportunities for engagement and cognitive stimulation.
The member began to look forward to the CI's visits. Then came a particularly heartening moment: she returned to playing the sitar. Soon, she was reading books and reciting poetry again.
In dementia care, these moments matter. Supporting someone does not always mean doing more for them. Sometimes, it means taking the time to understand them and creating the space for them to return to living life on their own terms. Reclaiming a sense of self can begin with something as simple as having a choice.
The change extended to the family as well. Her husband, initially hesitant about the CI’s visits, gradually came to accept her presence. He began greeting the CI and bidding her goodbye at the end of each visit, a small gesture that came to represent a distinct shift in trust.
One of our members has been living with vascular dementia alongside high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and the effects of a knee replacement surgery. Her husband, also a Support Elders member, remained closely involved in her care.
When our CI began working with her, she first sought to understand what the member could still do and what continued to interest her. She encouraged her to participate in household activities, make choices about her routine, and give instructions to her personal caregiver rather than simply receive assistance. A former teacher at a reputed Army school, our member had once been an avid reader and enjoyed playing the sitar. Our CI encouraged her to reconnect with these interests. Music, storytelling, and brain-gym activities provided opportunities for engagement and cognitive stimulation.
The member began to look forward to the CI's visits. Then came a particularly heartening moment: she returned to playing the sitar. Soon, she was reading books and reciting poetry again.
In dementia care, these moments matter. Supporting someone does not always mean doing more for them. Sometimes, it means taking the time to understand them and creating the space for them to return to living life on their own terms. Reclaiming a sense of self can begin with something as simple as having a choice.
The change extended to the family as well. Her husband, initially hesitant about the CI’s visits, gradually came to accept her presence. He began greeting the CI and bidding her goodbye at the end of each visit, a small gesture that came to represent a distinct shift in trust.
