Of all the words associated with the various symptoms and effects that dementia can have on a person, ‘sundowning’ is one of the most curious. It is a word to describe when a person with dementia becomes more active and/or distressed…
Tag: families
Living with dementia in your own home
Whenever a report on dementia talks about what people with dementia want, enabling the person to remain in their own home for as long as possible usually features pretty highly. A diagnosis of dementia should never mean that you have…
Finding the value in every generation
Prior to becoming a mum, I wrote extensively about my experiences of caring for my dad. In many ways those experiences were a unique preparation for parenthood. Not in a disrespectful way – I never viewed my dad as a…
Why activity is everyone’s business
Go into most care homes and you will see a familiar array of staff, from carers to chefs, housekeepers to maintenance personnel. A role you will also often encounter is that of an ‘activity coordinator’. All of my dad’s three…
Doll therapy – Disrespectful or comforting?
One of the most controversial non-drug therapies for people with dementia is doll therapy. Before the work I do now, I knew this not as a ‘therapy’ but as the lady in my dad’s care home who occupied the room…
