Navigating Dementia

Before you try another redirect or distraction, ask the one question that actually changes things: what's going on?

In this episode, Carlyn tells the story of a husband in one of her support groups who'd tried everything, redirecting, distracting, reassuring, validating, and still felt like nothing worked. That conversation cracked open a shift in how she thinks about every hard moment in dementia care.

The strategies most of us are taught (redirect, distract, validate, reassure) aren't wrong. But handing them out before understanding what's actually happening is like a physical therapist prescribing exercises before ever evaluating what's causing the pain. Carlyn walks through why the same behavior, like refusing a shower, can come from five completely different causes, and why the question "what's really going on?" has to come before any response.

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If this one hit close to home, follow the show so you catch what's next: how to organize the answers once you're asking better questions.