“Embrace Their Reality.” This is Rachael Wonderlin’s best-known, soon-to-be trademarked approach to dementia care. For Rachael, founder and owner of Dementia By Day, positive communication is essential to caring for those with dementia, but in a way that hasn’t traditionally been advised.
Often, caregivers and family members of individuals living with dementia are given the advice to simply “validate,” or “redirect or distract.” In Rachael’s opinion, doing so is only trying to force a reality on someone that is not true for them. This is where her “embrace their reality” approach comes into play. A few experiences with patients in particular affirmed Rachael’s realization of how leaning into a patient’s reality could be more beneficial than arguing with them.
For more information on Rachael and her business, Dementia By Day, visit https://rachaelwonderlin.com/.