Empowering Growth...
Whilst caring for someone with Dementia it is common to hear the phrase “I want to go home”. This can be distressing for both carers and family members involved however there are ways you can approach and understand this phrase. This may be caused by time-shifting, this is when a persons experience is that they are living at an earlier time in their life. Here are a few things to remember when someone with dementia is asking “to go home”:
Reassure them that they are safe.
The desire behind going home is the same desire someone would have being in an unfamiliar place, feeling lost and confused. You can reassure the person verbally and provide reassurance that the person is still cared about and they are safe where they are.
Avoid arguing that they are already “home”.
Often when a person with Dementia asks to go home it often refers to the feeling or sense of “home” rather than home itself. “Home” to them might represent memories, people, smells and sounds, it might represent a time or place that they feel happy, relaxed and secure. It is usually best to avoid disagreeing with the person about where home is. Try to acknowledge where home is to them, it might not be the last place they lived but a home from their distant past. Often encouraging them to talk about home and what home means to them will help you to understand what you can do to make the environment better for them.
Try diverting the conversation.
Suggest a chance to reminisce and talk about their past, keep a photo album handy and make comments instead of asking questions like how lovely the house looks etc. You can also divert their attention to music, food, activities etc.
Establish whether they are unhappy or anxious.
Sometimes a person with Dementia might want to go home because they are feeling unhappy, anxious or fear. It may be possible to find out if they are feeling unhappy however if they can’t tell you, you may be able to find this out from other team members, family members or residents in the home. You can also establish this by when they ask about going home and if there is a pattern there, maybe they are asking to go home because no one has visited them in a few days? Is it based on their environment and the noise levels? Or is it between meal times and maybe snacks might help?
The information taken for this blog is based on the findings from the Alzheimer’s Society and we hope this information can help you aid caring for a patient with Dementia.
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