Dr. Natalia from "Dementia Careblazers" has great suggestions that any caregiver can use at some point in their loved ones journey. He is a little tidbit for you 💜💜 #dementiacare #daycationforseniors #alzheimerscare #seniorcare
Careblazer,
There is something I witness a lot when working with families.
It's when we ask questions just to see if the person with dementia knows the answer. It's for our own curiosity not because we need to know. We already know the answer, but we want to see if the person with dementia knows the answer.
These questions may sound like:
"What day is today?"
"Do you know who this is?"
"What did I tell you yesterday about dinner?"
Asking questions that you already know the answer to just to see if your loved one knows the answer is called "testing."
Testing can make the person with dementia feel defensive, upset, anxious, or sad.
It also puts strain on the relationship they have with you.
You will have plenty of experiences and situations throughout your caregiving journey that will reveal how their memory is doing. You don't need to create more situations out of curiosity.
Rather than testing, consider telling.
Telling the person with dementia the information you want them to have rather than testing to see if they know the answer is the preferred approach if you care about the relationship you have with them.
💖, Dr. Natali
