Care Partner Tip: Driven to Distraction

When caring for someone with dementia it can be difficult to know what to say and how best to respond at the time. You may feel when you try to help by correcting or showing the right way, it just makes the person living with dementia annoyed at you instead of thankful. Often in dementia care our best response is to try to distract. The following are different idea and types of distraction that may help:

Distracting with Words

• Smoothly change topics, help by changing their focus
• Distract with positive sentences
• Bring up their favourite topic
• What is their expertise? Get them talking about what they know to help them feel more in control
• Request their help
• Yes…and technique.  Start by saying yes and then redirect the conversation.
• Use humour
• Soon, I’ll find out etc., Use words that will give hope for later or put off to later

Distracting with Actions

• Leave and come back with something to share and engage with i.e., photo album, pet, plant
• Draw attention to yourself in an interesting way
• Activity they like or may be interested in
• Change of location
• Physically move. This may help the brain to refocus. It may be a simple as rubbing their hands together

Distracting with Sensory

• What can they feel, smell, taste, see, hear?
• Music Therapy, play their favourite music from their 20s is often best, or sing
• Tactile objects (the Alzheimer Society has quilts for free that are full of tactile activities)
• Favourite treats
• Change lighting i.e., increased lighting the evening
• Warmth, wrap up in comfort