Key Message #4
It Is Possible to Have a Good Quality of Life with DementiaLearn about the many abilities that people with dementia retain.
What YOU Can Do as a Dementia Friend
Focus on all of the things that the individual CAN do.
People should not be defined by dementia. They still enjoy doing things they liked before they were diagnosed. While someone might not be able to do all activities in exactly the same way, they are still able to do SO much. While dementia will have an impact on a person’s abilities as it develops, there will still be lots that the person can appreciate doing, both individually and with others. Continue to invite the person you know with dementia to do things with you. Be patient if it takes them longer or if they have difficulty expressing themselves. If you see someone in your community struggling at the store, offer to lend a hand without making the person feel inadequate or dependent on others.
Here are some simple things to do with a person with more advanced dementia:
View and Download: Make Activities Meaningful
Help the person plan for the future.
It can be difficult to talk about what might happen if someone is no longer able to care for themselves or make decisions independently, but advance care planning is not just an end of life planning tool, it can be used as the beginning of an important conversation with your family or friends. It is important for all of us, but especially those with dementia, to express and document details about our choices for medical treatment, comfort, and care wishes, as well as who would make those decisions for us if we were unable to do so. There are many tools available for advance care planning and its never to early to start the conversation with those close to us.
Some Advance Care Planning Tools:
Download the Advance Directive for Dementia Form
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Mental Health Advance Directive
Five Wishes : A legal document that guides you through planning before a health crisis
It Is Possible to Have a Good Quality of Life with Dementia
Keep in mind that everyone reacts to the experience of dementia in a different way. The experience means different things to different people. There are many abilities that people with dementia retain for a very long time.
Strengths people with dementia may retain:
- Ability to use one’s imagination and access long term memories
- Socializing with friends, helping others
- Playing games
- Enjoying family events
- Ability to identify numbers, shapes, colors
- Ability to follow directions with written and verbal cues
- Enjoying time spent outside
- Appreciating listening to and making music
- Creating poetry, dance, photography, hobbies, and other forms of self-expression
- Ability to reminisce, looking at old family photos, telling stories
- Reading skills
- Ability to understand body language and facial expressions
- Desire to be included, needed and asked for advice
- Desire to have meaningful work and activities
Success Stories
We love hearing how the Dementia Friends sessions have impacted you and your understanding of those with dementia. We invite you to share your experiences and successes with us!
Share Your Success Story
“There’s someone in my family who’s affected, and now I have more of an understanding of how to help this person.”
“I know what I’m going to do now. I’m going to call my sister who has dementia. I haven’t talked to her in a year because I didn’t know what to say. Now I do.”
“I now feel more comfortable reaching out to people with dementia.”
“I want to do everything I can to make my neighbor’s life more enjoyable and show her the respect she deserves.”
“I hope to help more people understand dementia.”