Reward good behavior and distract from bad

[JaneCares]

People with dementia can be trained just like a toddler or an animal: reward good behavior and distract from bad behavior. I’ve found that talking with my therapist about my reactions to my Dad’s angry and mean words helps me to find a way to be calm, not take it personally, and find ways to either safely leave the situation (to discourage more verbal abuse) or distract him with something pleasant, like suddenly putting on a Glenn Miller piece of music (his favorite.)