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Hi all, Five years I've worked with her. Some changes are new to me, I work with two to three other caregivers although I am the main caregiver. I do not want to be overbearing ... I do not know how to make my suggestions and care for this lovely gal noticed or taken seriously......

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Be aware that Downs Syndrome people suffer from Dementia too. I knew a woman who is my age. When she reached her 60s she started getting combatant. Their health problems worsen.
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I think it would help us answer if you were more specific about the challenges you are having.
I have no personal knowledge of caring for someone with Downs but I do know that they have a greater likelihood of getting Alzheimer's as they age, do you think this may be part of the changes you are seeing?
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Some high-functioning people with Down Syndrome actually hold down jobs, live on their own and even get married and have children. What sort of opportunities has this lady been given? Does she have a job? Can she handle her own personal care? Does she live with family? Are they the ones who are holding her back? When they hired you, what was your job description? My sister-in-law is mentally challenged (we used to say “retarded”). Her parents and sibs did her no favors by coddling, spoiling and hiding her away. She was never given the opportunity to be successful within her limits. The result was that at age 16, she could not bathe herself or even change her sanitary pads. Her family was charged with doing it for her. Now, she lives with a sister who took up the challenge of retraining her. She does some basic cooking, housework, laundry and even does some crafting. She is completely responsible and able to do her own personal care.

What you you can do with this lady, if she has been “protected” all her life, will take consideration and much diplomacy. Investigate the availability of sheltered workshops in your area and kindly suggest. But be aware that this lady is the same age as my sister-in-law and she was born and raised in an era when mentally challenged people were pitied and hidden away. If her parents are very elderly or if her sibs have been conditioned to treat her like my SIL was treated, you may not be successful.
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