Conversations with Someone with Dementia

1. 

   "Help your loved one stay as comfortable as possible." Hospice pamphlet
   
   

   In dealing with someone with dementia or who is otherwise confused, it is good to use simple words and to give clear choices.  Before moving the person, explain what you are doing.  Do not argue.  Who is to say that our reality or our opinion is the only one to honor?  I listen patiently to my loved one who talks often about the tires he needs to change, or the number of cars that are on the lot, or the rusted bolts that he cannot get removed, or the dog that needs attention -- all of these things are things he sees and believes he is doing.  I listen.  I believe it is appropriate to interject only if his hallucination is causing him distress, and then I simply say, "We will take care of that.  You do not need to worry about it any more."