Why does he think I’m someone else? When a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia stops recognizing us, or responds to us as if we are someone else, it can be both disconcerting and hurtful. However, it’s important that we understand what could cause our loved one to believe we are someone else. When we … Read more
Being a Dementia Partner It’s very important to remember that the person who is experiencing dementia may or may not be able to understand that it is their own abilities that are changing, and that even though their cognitive skills are becoming more limited, they are not becoming lesser beings. We can preserve their dignity … Read more
Why do we expect them to know us? So often I talk with people who are upset because a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s no longer recognizes them or other family members. Most of us find this painful. If it’s our spouse with dementia who doesn’t recognize us it can be even more difficult … Read more
How to help someone with dementia retain their sense of self A very important way to help our loved ones with dementia retain their sense of self is to give them opportunities to be kind and helpful. There is nothing more uplifting and effective at helping us feel better about ourselves than being able to … Read more
We can become storytellers for our loved ones who have dementia—recounting happy memories for them. When we do this we give them a valuable gift: an experience in the present of whom we know them to be, even though they cannot recall their own pasts. There is great comfort in knowing that you have experienced … Read more
At DAWN, we see ourselves as being both remembering selves and experiential selves. We know that people with healthy brains are able to both live in the present (experiencing what is happening in the moment) and also to use recall to remember and reflect on things that have happened in the past. We know that … Read more