Speaking Dementia

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Speaking Dementia - Thought of the Day (Part III)
By Stan Goldberg, Ph.d. | Submitted On February 06, 2015

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Expert Author Stan Goldberg, Ph.d.
Who would think there is anything humorous about Dementia? Most people who experience it or their caregivers wouldn't. But humor and improvisation may be a key element to reducing anxiety and creating joy for both you and your loved one.

In Part I of this series I discussed some of the facts and myths about Alzheimer's and dementia. In Part II I presented five …show more content…
Caregivers assume correcting a person's misperceptions reduces confusion. I believe the importance of honesty with dementia patients is over-rated, and the need to bring them "back to reality" may be detrimental to their happiness.

Truth is valuable when there is symmetry between the worlds in which people live. For example, it would be important my wife and I have a similar understanding of what happened at a family gathering. But what if our worlds are different? If my mind was intact and she suffered from memory deficits and a deteriorating executive functioning? Why is it important to correct her account of whether it was Uncle George rather than Aunt Audrey who made the insulting comment?

These are the types of inaccuracies corrected hundred's of times a day with dementia patients. What is the purpose of becoming my third-grade teacher if the errors aren't dangerous? Unnecessary corrections do little other than reinforce the realization dementia is taking away even simple abilities.

Improvisation and

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