Care Partner Tip

Care Partner Tip

• It is important to understand what the person living with dementia’s current ability is and try your best not to make them frustrated by feeling tested.
• Though it’s tempting to ask questions such as, “Why did you do that?” or “Why don’t you like your soup today? You liked it yesterday,” they may have no idea or how to express it. The disease has likely taken away their ability to reason or evaluate well.
• Why it backfires:
• You risk causing unnecessary anxiety by making them feel like he or she is being “tested” – and is failing.
• Remember to try to put yourself in their shoes. Understand how difficult things, that may seem easy to you, can be when your brain is failing to respond as usual.

Try your best to avoid test questions.  None of us like to be tested.