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
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
You may recognize this quote as something said by Ram Dass, an American spiritual leader of the 1960-70s. To me, it is a profoundly simple way to describe the role of caregiving. It doesn’t matter whether the person we are caring for is experiencing cancer, the flu, dementia, or grief. Offering care means being a companion, … Read more
This is ME Talking — Not My Dementia! We know that language skills are eventually lost in dementia. But do we really understand what dementia and language loss mean? Let’s be careful that we understand that ability is lost but the desire and need to communicate remains. Here at DAWN, we are person-directed in our … Read more