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Abstract

The greatest stress in dementia care is the seemingly inexplicable behaviors caregivers must respond to. Caregiver stress and uncontrolled behaviors precipitate the need for long-term care, which greatly increases costs. This presentation demonstrates how meeting the emotional needs caused by progressive cognitive impairment can reduce both behaviors and stress. Cornish describes the approach she developed from a five-year informal case study using inductive reasoning to analyse and predict dementia-related behaviors in a group of 32 people with dementia living in Moscow, Idaho. Her purpose was to identify emotional and behavioural patterns to create a method for family dementia care. Cornish details why she believes the problem is emotional distress and behaviors mere symptoms. She argues that Maslow�s need hierarchy theory applies to people with dementia, based upon her clients� positive response to mood management and experiential learning of security in confusion and care. She provides examples of self-actualization needs being met with social success, having a sense of control and value, and attachment to a security symbol. Cornish explains her clients� success with experiential learning despite dementia using Plato�s intuitive versus rational thought processes and applies Kahneman�s theory of our experiencing and remembering selves. She demonstrates how Langer�s mindfulness theory supports the value of mindlessness as a tool for the demented brain. Cornish concludes by contrasting the value of studying patterns in symptoms, disease, and physiology when developing medical treatments and cures with the value of analysing emotional and behavioural patterns when designing care for conditions such as dementia.

Biography

Email: judy@thedawnmethod.com