21st September 2016
Best practise for people with dementia is not to challenge them, but to enter their world – and this is exactly what our Care Heroes do. This story explains what we mean by this.
The husband of one of our elderly clients with dementia passed away years ago, but that doesn’t stop her talking about him and fretting that she hasn’t prepared his supper. One strategy would be to tell her that Pete died years ago and she doesn’t need to worry about cooking for him, but our excellent home carers understand that this would agitate her more.
Instead, they enter her world. “Don’t worry, Pete’s not home yet,” they tell her. “When he comes in, he can make his own tea, can’t he? Just pretend you’re asleep!” By entering her world, they keep her calm and contented; they know it’s working when she sings – a sure sign that she is happy.
Our dementia training means our home carers know how to keep our clients calm and contented, so they can enjoy the most fulfilling independent lives possible.