Emeritus Senior Living

"Caregiver Tips for Validation Orientation"

Caregiver Tips for Validation Orientation

Due to changes in the brain caused by plaques and tangles, people with Alzheimer's disease experience memory loss, loss of reasoning, loss of cognitive/thinking skills, and loss of judgement. Validation is a way of communicating with your loved one. Validation means to accept or enter into their reality or world. It is important to remember that when they visit the past, they actually believe they are living in the past. Here are some general tips to consider when using validation.

• Validating your loved one helps create a trusting, caring non judgemental environment which in turn allows them to feel safe and cared for. On the other hand, when the caregiver rephrases and corrects the resident and tries to bring them back to the here and now they often cause frustration, shock, and disbelief, which can lead to behavior problems.
• People with Alzheimer's can often recall long term memories, reliving those memories that happened many years ago and forgetting short term memories.
• Tips for successful validation include:
  • Using the loved ones preferred name
  • Making eye contact
  • Using encouragement and reassurance
  • Entering their reality; reminiscing
  • Making sure your verbal and nonverbal message is the same
  • Asking non-reasoning questions such as what and when
  • Speaking slowly
  • Matching their motions and emotions. If someone is upset, telling everything is okay is not going to make it better. In fact it may cause more agitation. Instead, enter their reality.
  • Identifying yourself as you approach. Get their attention before you touch them.

Understanding the disease process and changes in the brain caused by plaques and tangles will help you understand that validating your loved one and entering their reality helps them to feel safe and provides you with a meaningful interaction through reminiscing. It can be very difficult when your loved one does not recognize you or believes they are 40 again and needs to get to work. Hopefully these tips will help you to better communicate and have meaningful, enjoyable moments with your loved one.

Back to Caregiver Tips for more tips!

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