How you approach a person who has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia will make all the difference.
Bob DeMarco of the Alzheimer’s’ Reading Room recently posted a blog on how he believed that greeting his mother with a smile often had a positive influence on how their day would go together.
With over 25 years of daily experience working with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, I know this to be absolutely true. This is especially important for health care professionals who work with those with dementia to understand. People with Alzheimer’s and dementia are very perceptive and will react to your demeanor. Regardless of what you say, if you are upset and anxious people with dementia will often react in the same fashion – in words or behavior. Yet, if you are positive and calm, those with dementia will be more relaxed and calm as well. It’s a technique worth taking seriously.
Dementia Care Expertise for Health Care Providers 