Helpful Tips When Working With People With Dementia
This month we wanted to share a list of helpful tips for those working with and caring for people with dementia.
This month we wanted to share a list of helpful tips for those working with and caring for people with dementia.
1. Get to know the person
- Know their likes and dislikes
- Gather life history
- Have three points of conversation
2. Smile! .. The person with dementia will notice
- Your emotional state
- Your body language
- Tone of voice
3. Slow down
- Provide care in a relaxed manner
- Enable the person to do things for themselves
- Keep it simple
4. Introduce yourself
- Let the person know who you are
- Tell them what you are there for
- Obtain their permission to assist with care
5. Communicate clearly
- One point at a time
- Make sure glasses and hearing aides are used if needed
- Use an interpreter if needed
6. Step back.. if the person is aggressive
- Leave the area
- Reassess and try again later
- Try to identify the trigger to the behaviour
7. Keep it quiet
- Stop and listen
- Reduce conflicting noises
- Avoid crowds and lots of noise
8. Don’t argue
- Go with the flow
- Acknowledge and respect what the person is saying and doing
- Telling them they are wrong may have a negative effect
9. Engage and encourage
- Get the person started with a meaningful activity
- Set activities up to succeed
- Thank them for assisting you and themselves
10. Consider safety
- Approach safely
- Keep a safe distance
- Allow yourself an exit
11. Distract
- Talk about their life
- Give them something to do
- Provide a relaxed environment
12. Talk with others
- What has worked and what hasn’t
- Talk together about what has happened
- Record what you did.