🌟 Happenings: The Link Between UTIs, Delirium and Dementia

A urinary tract infection can sometimes cause a sudden increase in confusion, difficulty paying attention or changes in behavior, particularly in someone living with dementia.

Join Being Patient for a free live conversation with neurocritical care specialist Dr. Shouri Lahiri on Friday, July 31, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Central. He will explain how infections can affect the brain, signs families should watch for and why recognizing sudden changes matters.

📅 Friday, July 31, 2026

⏰ 1:00-2:00pm CT

💻 Online on Facebook Live

✅ Free, RSVP required

💬 Caregiver Corner: When “No” Becomes the Answer

A person living with dementia may refuse a shower, medication, food, exercise or a doctor’s appointment. Although it can feel like stubbornness, the response may come from fear, discomfort, confusion, fatigue or a desire to maintain control.

Instead of trying to win the argument, pause and look for what may be behind the refusal.

• Acknowledge the feeling: “It sounds like you’re worried about this.”
• Reduce the number of instructions and offer one step at a time.
• Provide two simple choices instead of asking an open-ended question.
• Change the subject and try again later if the situation is becoming tense.
• Schedule difficult tasks for the time of day when the person is usually most comfortable.
• Make the activity more pleasant by adding familiar music, a favorite snack or something enjoyable afterward.

If the refusal involves essential medication, hydration, nutrition or a sudden change in behavior, contact the person’s health care provider. Do not crush, hide or change medications without first checking with a doctor or pharmacist.

The goal is not perfect cooperation. It is meeting the person’s needs while preserving dignity and reducing distress for both of you.

🧠 Brain Health: Healthy Hearing, Healthy Brain

Hearing loss can make the brain work harder to understand speech. It can also make conversations tiring and contribute to withdrawal from social activities.

A few simple habits can help protect hearing:

• Ask for a hearing check if speech seems muffled or conversations are becoming difficult.
• Wear hearing protection around loud equipment or at noisy events.
• Lower the volume on headphones and earbuds.
• Keep hearing aids clean, charged and available.
• Reduce background noise during conversations.
• Face the person and speak clearly without shouting.

Hearing care supports communication, relationships and overall brain health. It does not guarantee that someone will avoid Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

💪 Activity of the Week: Create a Family Recipe Card

Food can offer a comfortable way to connect with family traditions without turning the conversation into a memory test.

What you need:

• A familiar recipe, food photograph or cookbook
• A blank recipe card or sheet of paper
• Pens, markers or stickers

Try it:

Choose one familiar dish. Read the ingredients together, look at a photograph or talk about when your family enjoyed it. Write the recipe on a card, adding the person’s name or a simple note such as, “Grandmother’s Sunday biscuits.”

Adapt it:

• Let the person dictate while you write.
• Use a printed recipe or picture if writing is difficult.
• Invite the person to stir, measure or smell safe ingredients.
• For later-stage dementia, offer a familiar scent, such as cinnamon or vanilla, and simply enjoy it together.
• Stop or change the activity if it causes frustration.

It does not matter whether every ingredient or family detail is remembered correctly. The purpose is to share a familiar and enjoyable moment.