Page 38 - Changes and Challenges

Dementia
Changes and Challenges
• Visual noise. A cluttered environment or light and images being
reflected on surfaces (including mirrors and other shinny objects).
• Olfactory noise. Smells or odours that are out of place or too strong.
For example, many people seem to bathe in their favourite perfume
and are oblivious to the fact that ‘less is more’. There are also several
horse studs located 2.5 to 3 km east of home. When a gently breeze
blows from the east I can smell horse (particularly horse urine). No
one else notices this but it is enough to keep me from spending to
much time outside on these days.
• Unclear messages. This comes from two areas, Signage and verbal
communication.
Sensory overload can occur across the senses. It is simply too much
information coming in to be processed easily. A good analogy could be giving
too many instructions for a task. Sometimes the fine detail may be required,
but the objective can be lost in the details given. Like a house of cards, one
misinterpreted detail renders the whole process a shamble.

Excessive noise of any from makes it harder for the neurological processing of
the sensory data and often results in a confused interpretation of the
environment. This may, itself be disorienting and increase confusion and
stress.

What may be overwhelming and noise to a person with Dementia but present
no problems for someone in normal health. This doesn’t lessen the severity or
impact for the person with Dementia.

Familiar Environments and Change.
What makes an environment familiar?

Home is familiar, things change, but change is slow, usually planned and
anticipated.

Some Cafes, restaurants and retail outlets are familiar, and hence
comfortable. A change in décor or staff (see

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