10 Top Tips for Supporting People with Dementia
Get to know the Person
- Know their likes and dislikes
- Gather life history
- Have three points of conversation
Maintain Eye Contact and Smile
The person with dementia will notice
- Your emotional state
- Your body language
- Tone of voice
Slow Down
- Provide care in a relaxed manner
- Help the person to do things for themselves
- Keep it simple
Introduce yourself every time
- Tell the person your name
- Tell them what you are there for
- Refer to the person by their name
Communicate Clearly
- Talk about one thing at a time
- Offer simple choices
- Speak clearly in a warm calm voice
Step into the persons world
If the person becomes upset
- Reassure the person
- Acknowledge that you can see the person is upset
- Validate what the person is saying or doing
Keep it quiet
- Create a relaxed environment
- Stop, listen, and avoid distraction
- Reduce conflicting noises
- Avoid crowds and lots of noise
Don’t argue or quibble
- Go with the flow
- Acknowledge and respect what the person is saying and doing
- Telling them they are wrong may have a negative effect
Engage and Encourage
- Get the person started with a meaningful activity
- Set activities up to succeed and have fun
- Focus on what the person can do
Talk with Others
- Share your experiences with others
- Talk together about what has happened and how you coped with the situation
- Record what has helped and what has not