{"id":2476,"date":"2026-10-12T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/148\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2026-09-14T11:18:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T16:18:56","slug":"caregiving-tip-of-the-week-10-12-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/148\/illinois\/melrosepark\/blog\/caregiving-tip-of-the-week-10-12-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Caregiving Tip of the Week: Entering the World of Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"

This weekly Caregiving Tip is for you, <\/span>to help you express your love for another human being.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are all caregivers.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you are a client, a caregive<\/a>r, a caregiving spouse or family member, a medical provider, or anyone in the business of caring, we are your source for useful caregiving tips that bring connection to your caring work.<\/span><\/p>\n

What:<\/h2>\n

A daughter was sitting with her mother, who has Alzheimer’s<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her mother turned to her and said, \u201cWhere is your father? He should be home by now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her father had died ten years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

The daughter used to say, \u201cMom, Dad died. Don’t you remember?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her mother’s face would fall. She would learn the news of her husband’s death \u2014 again \u2014 every week. Sometimes every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

One day, the daughter learned something new. She tried a different answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

She said, \u201cYou must miss him so much. Tell me about him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her mother smiled. \u201cOh, he was a wonderful dancer. Did you know that? At the Aragon Ballroom. He used to wear that blue suit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They talked about her father for an hour. Her mother was happy. The daughter was, too. No one had to grieve him a second time.<\/span><\/p>\n

So What:<\/h2>\n

Naomi Feil was a social worker. She grew up among the elderly. She watched what happens when we try to drag a person with dementia back into our world.<\/span><\/p>\n

They become scared. They feel disrespected. They shut down \u2014 or they fight.<\/span><\/p>\n

So she built a new way. She called it the Validation Method.<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea is simple: do not correct. Do not argue with their reality. Step into their world. Honor the feeling, even when the facts have slipped.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not lying. This is love that meets them where they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

In dementia, we do not pull them back to our world. We step into theirs.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Now What:\u00a0 Try this\u2026<\/h2>\n

This week, if your loved one says something that is not factually true, try this:<\/span><\/p>\n