When a Person With Dementia Says, “I Want to Go Home,” Even Though They Are Home
When a person living with dementia says, “I want to go home,” the words can hit a caregiver harder than expected. They may be sitting in the same house where they have lived for decades. Their favorite chair is nearby. Family photographs hang on the wall. Everything appears familiar. Yet they insist: “This is not […]
Why Someone With Dementia Keeps Asking the Same Question and How to Respond
When someone living with dementia asks the same question over and over, it can test even the most patient caregiver. “What time are we leaving?” “Where is my purse?” “When is my daughter coming?” You answer. A minute later, they ask again. Then again. It may feel as though they are ignoring you, challenging you, […]
Pet Therapy for Dementia: Benefits, Risks, and How to Get Started
“She hasn’t smiled in weeks. Then the therapy dog walked in and she lit up.” Caregivers say this again and again. Something about animals cuts through the fog of dementia in a way that little else can. Pet therapy — also called animal-assisted therapy (AAT) — is one of the most evidence-backed non-pharmacological interventions in […]