Is the Dementia Diagnosis Always to Blame?
As I get to know more persons with dementia and their care givers over time, I have realised one thing: we always need to apply the 5WH rule to all things that are out of the person’s ordinary day and routine. The quicker we get into the pattern of doing this, the easier it will be for the person with dementia and their care giver. What do I mean with out of the ordinary? Any sudden changes – which may include a change in bowel movements, energy levels, eating habits, mobility and behaviour. Working in a dementia facility immediately puts me in the ‘ dementia frame’ , which means I try and reason with dementia always at the forefront and as my foundation. I need to consciously tell myself to question other possible reasons for changes in the person with dementia. Yes, sometimes it is the progression of the disease and we can expect certain changes, but many times it is something else and we need to put our ‘investigator hat’ on to get to the bottom of it. We cannot rely on subje...