Caring for someone living with dementia brings unique challenges that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Even the most dedicated caregivers experience difficult days when emotions run high and solutions seem out of reach. At these moments, having effective coping strategies isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for both the caregiver’s wellbeing and the quality of care they provide. Drawing on over three decades of experience in eldercare, we understand the emotional and physical demands faced by those supporting loved ones with dementia. This guide explores practical approaches to navigate challenging caregiving moments while maintaining your own wellbeing—all grounded in Hovi Care’s family-centred philosophy of compassionate, individualised support.
Understanding Hovi Care’s family-oriented approach to dementia support
Hovi Care’s approach to dementia support is deeply rooted in our history as a family-run organisation with over 30 years of experience. Beginning with our first nursing home in Finland, we’ve maintained our foundational belief that eldercare is a family-to-family service—not just a clinical transaction. This perspective shapes how we view dementia caregiving: as a deeply personal journey requiring genuine connection, understanding, and compassion.
Our three core values directly influence how we support those caring for people living with dementia:
- Family orientation: We foster environments where people with dementia receive the same level of attention and care they would from family members. We extend this familial approach to supporting caregivers, recognising them as essential partners in the care journey.
- Individuality: We acknowledge that each person living with dementia has unique needs, preferences, and life experiences. Similarly, every caregiver’s journey is different, requiring personalised support strategies rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
- Trust: We build relationships based on transparent communication and operations. For caregivers navigating difficult days, knowing they have reliable, trustworthy support makes a significant difference.
These values create a foundation for meaningful support during the most challenging caregiving moments. By viewing caregiving through a family-oriented lens, we focus on creating supportive communities rather than isolated care relationships. This approach acknowledges the emotional dimension of dementia care and offers a framework for coping that honours both the caregiver and the person living with dementia.
How can caregivers maintain their wellbeing during difficult days?
The journey of caring for someone with dementia includes inevitable difficult days. Hovi Care recognises that caregiver wellbeing directly impacts care quality and must be prioritised rather than treated as secondary to the needs of the person with dementia. Our approach to caregiver wellness draws on our values of transparency and open communication.
During particularly challenging periods, consider these evidence-based coping strategies:
- Establish open dialogue with support networks, including family members, friends, and professional care teams. Hovi Care encourages transparent communication about difficulties rather than struggling in silence.
- Create a personal wellbeing toolkit with activities that restore your energy. This might include brief nature walks, mindfulness exercises, or simply enjoying a favourite book with a cup of tea.
- Recognise when you need respite care options. Taking time for self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential for sustainable caregiving.
- Maintain social connections beyond caregiving relationships to preserve your sense of identity and prevent isolation.
At Hovi Care, our emphasis on transparent communication extends to honest conversations about caregiver challenges. We create spaces where caregivers can express frustrations, seek guidance, and share experiences without judgment. This communication-focused approach helps prevent the isolation that often accompanies dementia caregiving.
Remember that maintaining your wellbeing isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental aspect of eldercare that benefits both you and the person you’re supporting. By acknowledging difficult emotions and actively seeking support during challenging periods, you’re demonstrating responsible caregiving rather than failure.
Creating stimulating environments for dementia care
The physical environment plays a crucial role in dementia care, particularly during difficult days when tensions may run high. Hovi Care designs spaces that are cosy, stimulating, and secure specifically to benefit both people living with dementia and their caregivers. A thoughtfully designed environment can significantly reduce stress triggers and create opportunities for positive engagement even during challenging periods.
Environmental considerations that can help during difficult days include:
- Creating dedicated calm spaces with reduced stimulation for when overwhelm occurs
- Incorporating familiar objects and photographs that evoke positive memories
- Ensuring adequate lighting to reduce confusion and anxiety, especially during evening hours when sundowning may occur
- Using colour contrast to help with visual perception challenges
- Minimising unnecessary background noise that can increase agitation
Hovi Care incorporates technologies for rehabilitation, therapy, and entertainment that caregivers can utilise during challenging moments. These tools aren’t meant to replace human interaction but rather to enhance it and provide alternative engagement options when traditional approaches aren’t working.
For example, during periods of restlessness or agitation, interactive sensory activities can redirect attention and provide comfort. Music therapy has shown remarkable benefits in shifting mood and creating connections even when verbal communication is difficult. These technological solutions offer caregivers additional resources to draw upon when navigating difficult behaviours or moods.
By adapting the physical environment to support both the person with dementia and the caregiver, difficult days can become more manageable. The goal is to create spaces that reduce unnecessary stressors while fostering opportunities for meaningful connection—a cornerstone of the Hovi Care approach to eldercare.
Implementing Green Care techniques during difficult moments
Nature has remarkable restorative properties that can transform difficult caregiving moments. Hovi Care’s Green Care philosophy incorporates elements from the natural world to evoke positive recollections and create calming experiences for people living with dementia. These approaches offer powerful tools for caregivers during challenging situations when conventional communication or redirection techniques may be less effective.
Green Care elements that can help during difficult days include:
- Indoor plants and flowers that stimulate multiple senses through colour, scent, and texture
- Nature-based activities like arranging flowers, sorting natural materials, or simple gardening tasks that provide meaningful engagement
- Natural sounds like birdsong or gentle water features that create calming auditory environments
- Views of outdoor spaces that connect to the changing seasons and natural rhythms
- Natural materials that offer tactile comfort and familiarity
These Green Care techniques can be particularly valuable during moments of agitation or distress. The sensory stimulation provided by natural elements often bypasses cognitive challenges to connect directly with emotional memory. A person who seems unreachable through conversation might respond positively to the scent of lavender or the feel of smooth stones in their hands.
For caregivers, incorporating these natural elements also creates a more pleasant environment during stressful periods. The documented stress-reducing effects of nature benefit both the caregiver and the person with dementia, creating opportunities for shared positive experiences even on difficult days.
Hovi Care’s experience shows that these nature-based approaches don’t require elaborate gardens or expensive materials—simple, thoughtful incorporation of natural elements can transform the caregiving experience and provide valuable tools for navigating challenging moments with greater ease.
Safety solutions that reduce caregiver stress
Safety concerns often intensify caregiver anxiety, particularly during difficult days when attention and patience may be stretched thin. Hovi Care places significant emphasis on creating environments that are not only secure but also designed with simplicity and clarity as guiding principles. These safety-focused approaches can substantially reduce caregiver stress by addressing common worry points.
Practical safety solutions that benefit both caregivers and people living with dementia include:
- Memory-friendly design features like clear signage and colour-coding that support orientation and reduce confusion
- Simplified environments that remove unnecessary visual clutter and potential hazards
- Thoughtful arrangement of furniture to create clear pathways and prevent falls
- Secure but unobtrusive systems to prevent wandering while maintaining dignity
- Technology solutions that alert caregivers to potential safety issues without being intrusive
These approaches reflect Hovi Care’s commitment to balancing safety with dignity. Rather than creating institutional-feeling environments, the focus is on integrating safety features that feel natural while effectively managing risks. This thoughtful approach means caregivers can worry less about potential accidents or incidents and focus more on meaningful interaction.
For home caregivers, applying these principles might mean simplifying the living environment, adding discrete safety features like motion sensors or door alarms, or rearranging spaces to improve visibility and reduce hazards. Each of these steps can significantly reduce the cognitive load of constant vigilance that contributes to caregiver fatigue.
Remember that safety solutions should evolve as needs change. What works during early stages may need adjustment as dementia progresses. Hovi Care’s approach emphasises ongoing assessment and adaptation of safety measures to ensure they remain appropriate and effective without being unnecessarily restrictive.
By implementing thoughtful safety solutions, caregivers can experience greater peace of mind even during difficult days, knowing that essential protections are in place while maintaining a homely, dignified environment.
Caring for someone living with dementia inevitably includes challenging days. By drawing on Hovi Care’s family-oriented values, creating supportive environments, implementing nature-based approaches, and addressing safety concerns proactively, caregivers can develop resilience for the journey. Remember that seeking support isn’t a sign of failure but rather a demonstration of commitment to providing the best possible care—both for your loved one and for yourself. The most effective caregiving comes from those who recognise their own needs alongside the needs of the person they support. On the most difficult days, remember that you’re not alone on this journey, and that with the right strategies and support, you can navigate these challenges while preserving your wellbeing and the dignity of the person in your care.
