A family in the local support group has been struggling with their loved one’s delusions. I suggested “white lies,” which made the family uncomfortable. I found this 2004 article from The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) offering three approaches for families to communicate with family members with dementia — therapeutic lying, Aikido, and validation therapy. These approaches all “require the caregiver to give up trying to force the dementia patient to accept reality, and surrender instead to the fact that the patient is living in another mental and emotional world.”
Here’s a quick example of the three approaches. “For instance, if Mom insists that she and her long-dead friend Mavis are going out dancing, here are some possible responses:”
* Therapeutic lying: “Mavis won’t be here until later, Mom. Let’s go to the mall for a while and take a walk.”
* Aikido: “I can see you miss having outings with your friends. I share your frustration. The senior center is offering waltz lessons. Would you like to sign up?”
* Validation Therapy: “You wish you could go out dancing again. I remember how beautifully you used to dance. What was it like to go out dancing with your friends? Isn’t that how you met Dad?”
Here’s a link to the full article:
www.wsj.com/articles/SB1100126
WORK & FAMILY
‘Therapeutic Lying’ and Other Ways To Handle Patients With Dementia
By Sue Shellenbarger ([email protected]), Staff Reporter
The Wall Street Journal
Updated Nov. 11, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET