“When all else fails, read the instructions.”
Have you heard that saying implying that the last thing most of us do is to read the instructions? In many situations, reading the instructions will help prevent a disaster.
We all have choices in the strategies we use to successfully meet the challenges before us. Some work better than others. Following the scientific method for problem solving is one choice but only if your investigation follows a logical path.
But what if there are no instructions, and common sense isn’t any help? What if there aren’t any warning signs along the way?
That’s what it feels like when working with a person with dementia. There’s no blueprint to follow, only a general idea of what to do.
The Lady-Links face this occasionally during our visits with our dear friends with dementia. We have an idea of an activity that will be meaningful, and usually they are.
But when not, we react with kindness and compassion as we transition to something that will work. We don’t count those as failures, because they may work next week. Rather, they are opportunities to go in a new or different direction.
When a craft project doesn’t interest our dear friend, looking at pictures of her family might be just what she would enjoy. It doesn’t mean that our planned activity isn’t appropriate, it simply means that something else would catch and hold her attention better at this particular time.
The Lady-Links understand that showing kindness works better than following a set of directions when attempting to engage our dear friends in activities, and we do that with plenty of smiles and cheerful conversation. Never once will “failure” be a part of our vocabulary for ourselves or for our dear friends. Our purpose is to bring joy into their lives and into ours during our visits, not to accomplish a set number of projects. If a project isn’t finished because of lack of interest, then smiling, talking, special hugs and holding hands take its place as we transition to something else. Those little acts of kindness are the solution.
Kindness counts when all else fails!
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