Importance of Treating those Living with Dementia with RESPECT

As of May 2024 more, than 944,000 people are living with dementia in the UK, each with their own unique personalities and life stories. They have the right to be treated with respect, and not stigmatised or treated differently to others because of their dementia.

The way we talk about dementia has a direct effect on how people living with the condition feel. It can also have a profound effect on society. After all, the words we use affect the way we think, and the way we think affects how we behave.

For those living with dementia, using words or phrases that label, belittle or depersonalise them can have a big impact on them and their family and friends. It changes the way they feel about themselves, shaping their mood, self- esteem, and feelings of happiness or depression. It can also change the way other people think about dementia and increase the likelihood of a person with dementia experiencing stigma or discrimination.

Always think about how a person with dementia would feel about your choice of words. Respect people’s wishes about how they want to be talked about, whether they are present or not.

Use language that focuses on what people can do, rather than what they can’t, or that shows that you are with them but not doing something for them. This can help people stay positive and retain feelings of self-worth.

The diagnosis of dementia is life – changing. But the person does not become the illness. That is why it is important that you don’t treat someone differently because of their diagnosis.

Tracy’s Topic, November Staff Newsletter