Blogs

Providing a Sense of Purpose
Connecting with a person living with dementia can often begin with a simple conversation—especially when that conversation centers around something meaningful to them. Talking about

How to Easily Connect with a Person Who Has Dementia
Talking to someone with dementia can feel a little tricky at first, especially if you’re unsure what to say or how to keep the conversation

Everything Is an Opportunity to Connect
People living with dementia have the same need for connection as everyone else. Every interaction—whether during dressing, meals, or daily activities—is an opportunity to engage

New Way of Caregiving by Connecting with the Person
What does it mean to “make a connection” with the people with dementia? It means that you have done something with or for them where

Assessment and Care Planning: Putting It All Together
Caring for a person with dementia requires ongoing assessment and care planning to ensure their evolving needs are met while fostering trust between caregivers and

The CARES® Approach Can Save You Time!
Caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, but the CARES® Approach makes it easier by reducing stress and improving efficiency. Instead of adding extra

Respecting Differences in Dementia Care
Every person receiving care is unique, with different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and identities. As caregivers, embracing these differences fosters meaningful connections and ensures compassionate, person-centered

How Does Your Approach Feel to Others?
How Does Your Approach Feel to Others? You learned about the Positive Physical Approach in Key #2. To truly understand its impact, try this simple

Keys to Success with CARES® Approach
As you apply the CARES® Approach, you’ll discover that some strategies work better than others. Here are 10 essential keys to success when caring for

Using the CARES® Approach for Daily Activities
For people with dementia, everyday tasks can become challenging. Familiar items like a toothbrush or comb can cause confusion, and performing routine activities may feel

Making Dementia Care Easier with the CARES® Approach
The CARES approach by Healthcare Interactive is a structured method for person-centered dementia care. It stands for Connect, Assess, Respond, Evaluate, and Share, forming the

Impact of the Pandemic on Dementia Care
COVID-19 has significantly changed how we provide care, especially for people living with dementia. It’s a tough time for everyone, but the challenges are even

Keeping People with Dementia Safe and Thriving
You are an important part of creating a safe environment for those you care for. Safety isn’t just about physical spaces—it includes emotional well-being and

Dementia and Elder Abuse
If you have tried everything to understand a person’s behavior but still feel uneasy, elderly abuse in dementia could be the cause. As Alzheimer’s disease

Change Your Approach and the Environment
As you know, dementia leads to confusion and affects how well people can manage things, which then influences their behavior. Since people with dementia can’t

What Does Your Behavior Communicate?
A Person living with dementia may struggle to understand the words you say, but they will understand How you communicate—the tone of your voice, your

Dealing with Challenging Behaviors in Dementia Care
Caring for someone with dementia involves understanding a variety of behaviors, such as repeating phrases, hoarding items, or wandering. These behaviors and others are normal

Understanding Nonverbal Communication in Dementia
Understanding non-verbal communication is essential when working with people living with dementia. Nonverbal communication refers to how we use body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone

Responding to “I Want to Go Home” in Dementia Care
Understanding the Situation People living with dementia often express a desire to “go home,” even when they are in a place they consider their home.

What is “Real” to the Person Living with Dementia?
Dementia patients often have a “sense of reality” that differs from our own. However, what does this actually mean for the way you treat the

Common Causes of Behavioral Changes in Dementia
There are often multiple reasons behind a single behavior. Some common causes of dementia related behavior changes include: • Physical discomfort (such as feeling hungry,

Getting to Know the Person Behind the Dementia
To truly understand people living with dementia and their behavior, you must first get to know them. You need to learn what is typical and

Observing and Connecting with Purpose in Dementia
Getting to know the person and building a connection is key to understanding their behavior. By observing their actions closely, you can find behavior clues

Alzheimer’s Care: Antipsychotic Medications
Some of the people you care for may be taking antipsychotic medications. These are meant to treat serious mental illnesses (SMI) like major depression, bipolar

Understanding Dementia Behavior as Communication
Understanding Behavior Dementia changes how people think and understand their surroundings. As time goes on, it becomes harder for them to process and respond to

Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression
The Alzheimer’s Association reports that many people with Alzheimer’s disease also experience depression, particularly in the early and middle stages. There is treatment available, it’s

Alternatives of Alzheimer’s medications
The first approach to dealing with dementia-related behavior should not involve medication. There are many alternatives those’re worth considering. These choices may make the person

Current Alzheimer’s Medications
Some of the people you care for might be taking medication for Alzheimer’s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two types of

The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is commonly described in three stages- early, middle, and late. The symptoms vary depending on the stage, and not everyone experiences the same

Alzheimer’s Disease and Types of Dementia
Dementia encompasses over 200 conditions characterized by cognitive decline, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for 60-80% of cases. Together, Alzheimer’s and related progressive dementias are referred

How Dementia Affects Thinking Skills
Dementia affects different parts of the brain in different ways, and symptoms don’t follow a set order. Understanding these thinking skills can help you notice

Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
What is Dementia? Dementia is a broad term used to describe the loss of memory and other cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily

Introduction to Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are complex conditions that affect millions of individuals and their families worldwide. Understanding these conditions, their effects, and ways to