I heard about an argument between a caregiver and a dementia patient, the caregiver was offended because the patient asked for additional salt in her meal. The caregiver that was involved felt that she was on the right, her explanation was that, she knew she cooks bland but was sure to have added enough salt in the Client’s meal. From what I learned, this led to a hefty misunderstanding between the two. What I would do in such a situation is to bring the shaker and add few drops of salt to the meal, and then ask with a smile, if the food taste better.When I was in school back in Germany training to be a Geriatric Nurse, we were taught over and over again, ways to deal with any situation that may arise when dealing with a dementia patient, and one of it was a method introduced by an American woman, who gives lectures all over Germany. People swore by this method, My experience was that it didn’t always work. And that’s because it isn’t a one for all method, none is.
Working as a caregiver in most cases doesn’t require much training, except few tips given by agencies. You’re told when you encounter any form of difficulty with a dementia client, to use distraction. This works sometimes but not always. Depending on the situation, what I do is to give a break and start all over again.
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