DAWN Method dementia supportive care is how we preserve the skill, ability, and, most importantly, well-being of folks experiencing dementia. DAWN dementia supportive care looks like us enjoying time with a person doing things that are meaningful and beautiful to them to bring personal sensory and social stimulation, and also tending to the practical and physical aspects of their life such as hygiene, nutrition, home management, transportation, safety, etc.
The right kind of personal sensory and social stimulation means folks sleep better, feel better, progress slower, have less sundowning, etc. This type of care also makes it easier for family caregivers because as their loved one with dementia does better, so do they.
Good dementia care never includes activities that have any hint of brain or memory challenge; this kind of activity causes tremendous stress and is not helpful. Instead, we work with what cognitive skills they continue to have while supporting the cognitive skills they are losing.
Having DAWN Dementia Care Specialists on your team means you get a break while knowing your loved one is in good hands. It means that there are other people who understand dementia who can help you help your loved one continue to live well and have a good quality of life, even as dementia changes their abilities.
Most folks with dementia do not need full-time care until the final stages. They need the right kind of care, presented in the right way, at the right times, and in the right amounts. The right type of care presented in the right way is the DAWN Method. The right times and right amounts are personal to the individual experiencing dementia and their particular patterns and rhythms of life. There is no “one-size-fits-all” for the timing of care. The amounts of care are determined based on the clues folks experiencing dementia give us via what they say and do. The DAWN Method teaches us a functional way to assess the level of care needed and the need for increased care.
When we get the care right, folks experiencing dementia can live well and relax, and their cognitive changes are of little consequence. This becomes a peaceful place for everyone on the dementia journey to live.