When we understand that not all cognitive skills are lost with dementia, we can provide strength-based care. People with dementia retain three useful cognitive skills, their intuitive, learning by experience, and mindlessness skills. When we learn how to use them to their advantage, we can provide strength-based care.
When we provide strength-based care, we are able to provide care that is focused on the person and providing care versus focusing on a person’s weaknesses, deficits, and problems.
The DAWN Method outlines the fact that while folks lose their memory and memory skills, rational thinking skills, and attention skills, they RETAIN their intuitive thinking skills, the skills of experiential learning, and the skills of mindlessness.
Each of these remaining skills prove to be crucial to the sense of security and well-being of a person living with dementia. When we use each of these remaining skills in a dementia-supportive way, we facilitate that sense of security and well-being.
We are regularly showing families how to leverage these powerful strengths, and how to help the dementia journey be one that has hope, beauty, and comfort.
Happy to help,
Jill
©Jill Couch
