6 Tips for Caring for Someone with Dementia - Tip 4

Let her feel independent.

It also doesn’t work to be stern and pull rank. Instead, play along with fantasies of independence. If your mother insists that she’s going to drive to the store, you might say, “Oh okay, let’s do that after lunch.” You won’t have to live up to your agreement, since she won’t remember what you said. To keep dementia patients from leaving the house, you might move the lock too high for them to reach and, when they complain, say you’ll have to get around to “fixing the door.” Your goal is to avoid confrontations and also give yourself some room so you don’t have to be on high-alert every minute.

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