You can also suggest taking on activities (like cooking, cleaning, and errands) together, so they don’t feel as though you’re taking over or stepping on their toes. After all, how would you feel if people tried to do things for you that you’ve always been (and still are, in your mind) capable of doing?
When they become frustrated, sad, angry, or overwhelmed, acknowledging their emotions (rather than using logic) can help diffuse the situation. And above all, don’t take things personally—they aren’t in control of their cognitive function and their brain struggles to make connections the way it once did.
Anosognosia can look a lot like stubbornness and/or denial, but know it’s a real condition that can make dementia symptoms that much more overwhelming. The 2021 Frontiers Psychiatry article notes that anosognosia has been shown to increase over time with dementia progression, and is more prevalent in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease variants that impact the frontal lobe.
The measures for preventing the development or progression of anosognosia are similar to dementia-preventing tips: maintain a healthy body composition, eat a well-balanced diet, and engage in physical activity regularly.
Taking a memory supplement may also help—for example, the bioactive citicoline has been shown to improve cognitive impairment and increase brain activity in the frontal lobe2, according to a 2020 Nutrients systematic review.
