We believe that our older folks are to be respected, and treated with dignity. That we should interact with them in such a way that they feel valued. That they readily sense that we appreciate their history and the lives they have lived…regardless of how that history might have played out. We have the privilege of spending time every day…
©Jill Couch At Better People Care, we believe the best approach to dementia care is a team approach; where several minds and eyes and ears, each training in the DAWN Method, are paying attention to the lives of our friends living with dementia. And we believe that as we train families, and friends, and neighbors, and church communities, and the…
© Jill Couch “I feel that many people see the terms Alzheimer’s, dementia, and any other disease that causes dementia as large umbrella terms for their simple interpretation: “mindless old people walking around.” I, too, felt this way prior to being introduced to the DAWN Dementia Method…and thanks to my wonderful mentors with Better People Care. I feel that I…
People with dementia sometimes get VERY angry. And it is no fun for them, or for those of us with them. And it seems like no matter how hard we try, we struggle to help them get un-angry. We both end up frustrated and unhappy and feeling hopeless. So it goes when we don’t understand some of the frequent triggers…
When I have the privilege of teaching folks about dementia, the goal is for them to learn about dementia so they can help their loved ones living with dementia. But that’s only half of the goal. The other half of the goal is so that the people on the team (care team, family team, etc.) of a person living with…
Giving someone a dose of their own medicine has its roots in the notion of revenge. Turns out, though, that the process often has a deeper purpose: that of determining whether the offending person is capable of developing greater empathy for you, as seen in Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201901/should-you-give-someone-taste-their-own-medicine. When we have the privilege of using and sharing the DAWN method…
Just in case you found our first good advice blog helpful for the prevention of dementia, here’s “the rest of the story”: • Minimize your use of alcohol and drugs. I haven’t read any research that lends empirical evidence to a link between alcohol and drugs and dementia, but I’ve certainly worked with some folks with dementia who have a…
I made a big mistake with one of my companions with dementia recently. I made a decision that left them feeling uncomfortable, and insecure in my presence. It wasn’t obvious at first, but their responses later in the week made it clear that my decision had eroded trust. It’s not the first time I’ve made mistakes when providing dementia care. …
No one asks to get dementia. And all of us hope to do what we can to prevent it. But before I dive into how we as women can reduce our risk of developing dementia, I must first speak out that there is hope in dementia. I’ve watched it. I’ve lived it. The truth that when we handle correctly the…
My Mom taught me hard work and duty to family. She grew up poor with seven siblings and minimal education, married at 22, and had me at 23. She showed me what sacrifice looked like when she and my dad moved our family from Taiwan to Texas to build a better life for me and my brother because we both…
