When spending time with one of my companions experiencing dementia, it matters how I communicate with them. They are losing contact with the recent past as their memory skills are changing. So when preparing my greeting, I thought about how I could stay in the "moment of now." For example, she will not remember the weather over the past few…
My friend Joe called me a few weeks ago. He was on the way to his mom’s home in another state; on his way to sort through the long list of things he needed to do on her behalf, as her Power of Attorney and devoted son. He was calling to say thank you; thank you for encouraging him months…
We live our daily lives with a connection to what has happened before and anticipation of what will happen in the future. Those experiencing dementia have diminishing cognitive skills and lose this connection to the past & future. Therefore it is like they are living their lives one movie frame at a time. As their dementia progresses, they will experience…
The DAWN method taught me that with dementia, 3 primary skills are being lost, and 3 primary skills are being kept. Knowing this helps us understand the way a person experiencing dementia behaves. Two examples of this are: Losing memory skills - which means they can reminisce well about the past, but lose connection with what just happened. Diminishing rational…
The best gift we can give our companions with dementia is time, especially in conversations. When speaking with a companion experiencing dementia, don’t rush to fill the open space. Instead, be patient, watch them, and give them time to respond. Watch for a flicker of understanding that lets you know they are thinking and avoid the tendency to fill the…
The Dementia-Friendly Movement has helped society be more aware, kind, and friendly to those living with cognitive change. In a personal setting, like family, we must progress this from dementia friendly to dementia supportive. Through the DAWN Method, I learned 6 tools to meet the emotional needs of people living with dementia. Using these skills we can create and manage…
In a recent conversation with a husband whose wife is suffering from dementia, he remarked that she only wants to sit and watch TV anymore. I shared that my training through the DAWN method has helped me understand the reason behind these behaviors and how we can better meet the emotional needs of those living with dementia. Through these tools,…
This week I had the opportunity to chat with Lori La Bey from www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com. We talked about the DAWN method and the difference it is making for so many folks with dementia. If you missed the interview you can listen here! After the interview, I received a text from a friend and loyal follower of the work we are doing here. He…
An encouragement for those working in healthcare!🩺 My experience in spending time with companions with dementia has given me some insight. Here's my advice: 1. From the first moment of your encounter, smile, eye contact, and greet them well. 2. Don’t start by asking questions when meeting someone with dementia. Cognitive change makes those questions difficult for them, challenging the…
Anosognosia is the “lack of ability to perceive the reality of one’s own condition.” (Healthline.com; Tim Jewell; 2/27/2019). Because of this, people with dementia have some awareness that things in their lives are changing, but they have no idea how their cognitive changes are impairing their ability to do daily tasks. Check out the video below. May we learn how…
