The Love Approach to Living With Dementia

Life roles can change so quickly, such as becoming a new parent, resulting in new priorities, responsibilities and commitments. However, when someone you love is diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder such as Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia, you may feel you have taken on an unwanted role as a "caregiver." Research has found that many informal "caregivers," such as family members and friends, do not identify with this term and perceive the support and care provided as just part of the responsibility of the relationship. The roles you play in life describe what you do, and your identity is the essence of who you are. This LOVE Approach is for family members and friends supporting someone living with dementia at home and offers a deeper understanding of how a dementia diagnosis affects the person and also how it affects you. Developing self-awareness and self-efficacy skills, identifying strengths and believing in yourself helps you gain confidence to make the best decisions and provide optimal care for your loved one. Recognizing and addressing dementia-related symptoms such as wandering or repetitive storytelling is an attempt to communicate an unmet need such as boredom or loneliness and not a "challenging behavior," fewer conflicts will occur. By practicing how to listen, observe, validate, and engage with your loved one, meaningful relationships can continue and shared joyful experiences are possible.