Every
person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia deserves:
o To be treated as an adult, listened to,
and afforded respect for one’s feelings and point of view
o To be with individuals who know one’s
life story, including cultural and spiritual traditions
o To experience meaningful engagement
throughout the day
o To live in a safe and stimulating
environment
o To be outdoors on a regular basis
o To have welcomed physical contact,
including hugging, caressing, and handholding
o To be an advocate for oneself and for
others
o To be part of a local, global, or online
community
o To have care partners well trained in
dementia care
Also
at the core of Best Friends is the understanding that good dementia care begins
with acknowledgment of a person’s life story
Because
people with dementia often can no longer tell us their histories, care partners
must become their biographers, even if it means becoming a good detective.
The
more any care knows about a person, the more he or she can use the Life Story
to improve interactions and care, including a good detective.
o Greeting the person and improving
recognition
o Introducing the person to others
o Reminiscing
o Improving communication through clues
and cues
o Designing appropriate activities
o Pointing out past accomplishments
o Helping to prevent challenging
behaviours
o Incorporating past daily rituals
o Broadening the caregiving network and
resources
Knack: Defined
as “the art of doing difficult things with ease,” the Knack represents an
attitude and set of skills that guarantee the success of the Best Friends™
approach.
Having
the Knack entails
Knowledge:
understanding
Alzheimer’s disease and the experience of the person with the disease
Nurturing:
through the Life Story,
making care relevant to each person
Approach:
effective communication
with the person with dementia
Community:
facilitating successful
activities
Having
the Knack entails
Knowledge:
understanding
Alzheimer’s disease and the experience of the person with the disease
Nurturing:
through the Life Story,
making care relevant to each person
Approach:
effective communication
with the person with dementia
Community:
facilitating successful
activities
Kinship:
including family and
friends in the care program*
* Source: The KNACK
Learning Framework™ from the licensed Best Friends™ Approach Associate Trainer
Program created by Alzheimer Society Calgary (Canada).
The
elements of Knack central to the Best Friends approach include:
o Valuing the moment
o Being well informed, having empathy and
Respecting the basic rights of the person
o Maintaining integrity, using common
sense and Communicating skilfully and Being non-judgmental
o Maintaining optimism Setting realistic
expectations
o Using humour, employing spontaneity and
Maintaining patience
o Developing flexibility and Staying
focused
o Maintaining self-confidence
Communication: The
Best Friends philosophy of communication is grounded in a set of core
principles:
o Remember the basics of good
communication
o Understand the person’s desire to
communicate
o Make a good first impression
o Create an environment that facilitates
good communication
o Treat the person as an adult
o Maintain caregiving integrity
o Respond to emotional needs
o Remember the importance of nonverbal
communication
o Remember that behaviours communicate a
message
o Do not take the person too literally
o Employ good timing
o Use repetition to facilitate better
communication
o Do not argue or confront
o Screen out troubling messages or news
o Speak using positive language
o Employ humour in communication
o Do most of the work
Mindful
Listening: Learn to Communicate Without Words
Bringing Joy to
a Person with Alzheimer’s Isn’t Tough
When relating to
a person with Alzheimer’s there are many guidelines to follow. Below are five
of the most basic ones:
Don’t Tell Them
They’re Wrong About Something:
To let the person,
save face it’s best not to contradict or correct them if they say something
wrong. There’s no good reason to do that. If they’re alert enough, they’ll
realize they made a mistake and feel bad about it. Even if they don’t
understand their error, correcting them may embarrass or be otherwise
unpleasant for them.
Don’t Argue with
the Person:
It’s never a
good idea to argue with a person who has dementia. First of all, you can’t win.
And second, it will probably upset them or even make them angry. The best thing
to do is simply change the subject – preferably to something pleasant that will
immediately catch their attention. That way they’ll likely forget all about the
disagreement
Don’t Ask if
They Remember Something:
When talking
with a person who has Alzheimer’s it’s so tempting to ask them if they remember
some person or event. “What did you have for lunch?” “What did you do this
morning?” “Do you remember that we had candy bars when I visited last week?”
“This is David. Do you remember him?” Of course, they don’t remember. Otherwise
they wouldn’t have a diagnosis of dementia. It could embarrass or frustrate
them if they don’t remember. It’s better to say, “I remember that we had a cup
of tea and a giggle the last time I was here. It was wonderful.”
Don’t Remind the
Person that a Loved One Is Dead:
It’s not uncommon for people with
dementia to believe their deceased spouse, parent or other loved one is still
alive. They may be confused or feel hurt that the person doesn’t come to visit.
If you inform them that the person is dead, they might not believe it and
become angry with you. If they do believe you, they’ll probably be very upset
by the news. What’s more, they’re likely to soon forget what you said and go
back to believing their loved one is still alive. An exception to this
guideline is if they ask you if the person is gone. Then it’s wise to
give them an honest answer, even if they will soon forget it, and then go on to
some other topic.
Don’t Bring Up
Other Topics That May Upset Them:
There’s no
reason to bring up topics you know may upset people. If you don’t see eye-to
eye on politics, for example, don’t even bring it up. It may just kindle an
argument, which goes against the second guideline above. You won’t prevail, and
it’s just likely to cause them anger and/or frustration.
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