Course content – PFLEGE-16
2. Module 1 · What is dementia?
2.2. Application: reading a scene and responding with dignity
Application
Reading an everyday scene and responding with dignity
This page turns the knowledge into a short routine. You will work through one scene step by step, then try a similar one yourself. A routine is useful because in a busy shift you rarely have time to think for long. A few steady questions are easier to remember than a long list.
A three-question routine
- What does this person feel right now? Look at face, voice and body before you listen to the words.
- What might have just happened? Noise, a new face, pain, thirst, a toilet need, being hurried.
- What would help this person feel safe? Closeness, a calm voice, a familiar object, a task they can do, a quiet place.
Worked example: Mr Brandt in the corridor
Mr Brandt (fictitious), 78, stands in the corridor at 5 p.m. and says to you: “Where is my wife? She should be here by now.” His wife is not coming, since she is at home. This is the third time today. Step by step:
- Notice the feeling. His hands are tight and he speaks quickly. He is worried, not “confused for fun”.
- Think about the cause. It is late afternoon, the corridor is busy, and the meal trolley has just arrived. Evening is often a time of more unrest for people with dementia.
- Do not argue the facts. Saying “You asked me that before” or “She is not coming” leads nowhere. He cannot keep the answer, but he will keep the feeling of being brushed off (see the in-depth box on emotional memory).
- Respond to the feeling and offer closeness. Go to his eye level, say his name, walk beside him and say you can see he is worried.
- Offer something to do. A cup of tea together, a look at a photo of his wife, a gentle walk to a quieter room.
- Pass it on. If he is often distressed at this hour, tell the team and write down what you saw and what helped.
Example phrases
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “I told you already.” | “Mr Brandt, you seem worried. I am here with you.” |
| “Don’t you remember me?” | “Hello, Mr Brandt, I am Ana. I work here with you today.” |
| “Hurry up, we are late.” | “We have time. Shall we do this together, step by step?” |
Exercise (voluntary self-check). Ms Weber (fictitious), 84, has lived in the care home for four months. At meals she pushes her plate away and says, “I am not hungry, I want to go home to my mother.” A new colleague answers, “Your mother died years ago, Ms Weber.” Ms Weber starts to cry. Use the three-question routine. What is Ms Weber likely feeling, what could be behind it, and what would you say or do?
Hint 1
Start with feeling, not with facts. Is Ms Weber more likely sad, anxious or lonely?
Hint 2
Think about what mealtimes might mean to her: a strange table, people she does not know, a memory of her mother cooking for her. Which of these could you change or respond to?
Suggested answer
Likely feeling: sadness and a need for comfort and security. The colleague’s answer was true but hurt her; she cannot keep the fact and meets the loss again. A good response: sit down beside her, use her name, say that she seems to miss her mother, and ask her to tell you about her. Later, offer a small, familiar food or let her help set the table. Tell the team that mealtimes seem difficult for her and what helped. Person-centred does not mean lying; it means responding to the feeling you can see.
Small habits that make a difference
- Say who you are, every time. You cannot expect the person to remember you.
- Slow down before you touch. Tell the person what you will do, then wait a moment.
- Keep your face open. People with dementia read faces and tone more reliably than words.
- Write down what helped. A short note to the team turns one good moment into a method.
In German practice you will hear …
- Demenz – dementia, the usual medical and everyday word.
- Alzheimer-Demenz – Alzheimer’s dementia, the most common form.
- vaskuläre Demenz – vascular dementia, linked to poor blood supply to the brain.
- Lewy-Körper-Demenz – dementia with Lewy bodies.
- frontotemporale Demenz – frontotemporal dementia, often with early personality change.
- Pflegegrad – care level from 1 to 5 that decides the level of insurance support (section 15 SGB XI).
- Betreuungskraft – care assistant who provides extra activation and company (section 43b SGB XI).
- Pflegefachkraft – registered nurse or qualified care professional.