04/04/2022
I came across a very good, yet lengthy article about Dementia. Here are some key points, because FB is not a place where people read long pieces. However, if you want more, I can send you the link.
Use gentle distraction: "One client, who no longer drives, believed their car had been stolen. I used gentle distraction by saying: "I'm not sure where your car is right now, was there somewhere you wanted to go? Can I take you there?"
Remove other distractions: "Being in a quiet place helps create calmness; I turned off the TV or radio."
Use redirection: "I then said, I'm just going to put the kettle on, then we can discuss where you want to go. Once we'd moved to a different part of the house, I discussed the garden needing trimming."
Change the setting: "Often changing rooms from inside to outside can be enough to break what they're focusing on — we then discussed the unruly garden and they forgot about the imagined car theft. But always acknowledge the feeling, the sentiment behind what they're actually saying."
