Interacting with a person with dementia

Create an image depicting a caregiver gently interacting with an elderly person in a warm, inviting setting, emphasizing empathy and communication, with soft lighting and a comforting atmosphere.

Engaging with Dementia Patients: A Caregiver's Quiz

Test your knowledge on how to effectively interact with individuals living with dementia. This quiz covers essential skills and strategies needed to provide compassionate care.

After completing the quiz, you will:

Understand key qualities for caregiver interactions.
Identify signs of interest and engagement in patients.
Avoid common pitfalls in communication with dementia patients.

9 Questions2 MinutesCreated by CaringHeart479

SCENARIO : You are currently conducting an online session with a resident from Apex Harmony Lodge, in which you have decided to do an online quiz with them. If he/she seems to be losing interest in the activity you are doing, you are supposed to switch to another activity and improvise. What are the signs that the resident is getting bored/losing interest in the activity?

They are taking longer to answer questions

They start to talk about other things

They are watching what is on your screen intently

They struggle to understand and answer your questions, but are still trying

Someone is needed to step in and explain the questions to them continuously

They are looking away from the screen and struggling to concentrate

They are not talking to you directly, but are still engaging with the questions on the screen with their caregivers

They suddenly get really quiet and needs you to repeat the questions and ask the same thing over and over again

They seem unfamiliar with the quiz topic as they are constantly answering the wrong answers

SCENARIO : Your resident seems to be enjoying the quiz that you are doing with them. You are allowed to repeat some activities if you get a positive response from the residents. What are the signs that your resident is enjoying what they are doing?

They are answering the questions quickly, and demonstrating an interest in the topic

They may hesitate to answer some questions, but are engaging well when the answers are revealed

They are answering questions without giving any thought to them and have no reaction when the answers are revealed

They are making jokes and trying to match your energy and body language

They are familiar with the quiz topic and are answering the right answers

They are willing to repeat the activity and do more quizzes

SCENARIO : You have just finished the activity that you had planned to do with your resident and you still have an extra 10 minutes left. What kind of small talk would you make with your resident to pass the time?

Depends on the person's interests and hobbies - trying to start a conversation on a topic he/she is most likely to engage in

Asking them questions about their past, their family and their memories

Talking to them about yourself, where you're from, what you like doing and everything about you

Nothing, the resident seems uninterested anyway

When you're interacting with someone who has dementia, it is very important to be aware of the energy that you are giving out, your own body language, behaviour and attitude. In a face-to-face session with a resident, how would you not want to act in front of him/her?

Act goofy, making fun of what they're saying to your friends around you

Act unbothered and stop trying to communicate with them, as they aren't interacting with you in the way that you had hoped

Try to match your energy with theirs and if they are unresponsive, trying to find something to do that will suit them (even if it means asking for help from the caregivers there)

Be super loud and pushy

Be soft-spoken and calm

Act bored and pretend like you are forced to be there

Fake enthusiasm in a very obvious way

Try your best to be enthusiastic even if you are having a rough day

When interacting with a person with dementia, do you think 'honesty is the best policy'?

No, sometimes 'therapeutic lies' are the best course of action when dealing with dementia patients. This could mean agreeing with the things they are saying and straying away from correcting their misconceptions.

Yes, dementia patients need to be corrected when they are wrong. This will help them learn and stay grounded to reality..

What are some don'ts when interacting with a resident who has dementia?

Bringing up topics that upset them/ make them confused and anxious

Criticise what they do/say

Argue with them because you know you are right

Ask questions that usually start with "do you remember ____"

Use their name when speaking to and about them

Include them in conversations

Talk over their heads/ pretend like they aren't there

Laugh at their jokes/ react positively to whatever they say

Talk to them like how you would speak to a baby

Interacting with a person with dementia

Engaging with Dementia Patients: A Caregiver's Quiz

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