Dementia Care, Should A Caregiver be Truthful or Kind?

Alzheimer's care, is it more important to be truthful and cruel, or to be kind?By Bob DeMarcoAbout Alzheimer's Reading RoomI had an interesting and wonderful conversation withSusan Frederickson, the Caregiver Program Specialist, for the Area Agency on Aging of the Permian Basin (Midland, Texas).Susan is full of knowledge and hasa deep understanding of Alzheimer's caregiver life. We talked about a long list of issues that Alzheimer's caregivers deal with each day, and as a result I decided to write about"Lies".About how difficult it can be when a person living with Alzheimer's asks a question that if answered "truthfully" is more likely to cause sadness, confusion, or might be met with challenging behavior.People with Alzheimer's Can Be Moody, Distrustful, Stubborn, Aggressive, Mean, and DiscombobulatedThe issue.Is it more important to be truthful and cruel, or more important, to be kind?Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:It is easy for me to understandwhy an Alzheimer's caregivers feels the need to tell the truth to someone living with Alzheimer's even if the truth can be hurtful.After all who wants to be known as a liar? Persons who lie are usually considered to bedeceitful, untrustworthy, and are usually "looked down on".Most people pride themselves on being honest, and for being known to be honest.Learn More -Positive Thoughts Drive the Dementia Caregiving ExperienceTo tell the truth or be kind is an important issue in dementia care.How do you respond to mom wh...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer care care of dementia patients care of dementia patients at home dementia care elderly dementia care health help alzheimer's help with dementia care kindness memory care facility quote Source Type: blogs