Everyone involved in the lives of people with
dementia should know or learn that, despite changes
and loss of abilities, people with dementia are able to
find pleasure and experience satisfaction. Dementia
does not remove a person’s ability to appreciate,
respond to and experience feelings such as anger, fear,
joy, love or sadness. Recognizing abilities, interests
and life-long skills helps to maintain and enhance
that person’s quality of life.

People with dementia are individuals and need to
be treated with respect, integrity, compassion and
dignity, and with concern for their privacy and
safety. People in the early stages of dementia may
need support in finding opportunities to enhance
their quality of life. As dementia progresses,
preserving the quality of life of the person with
dementia will require the provision of appropriate
social and physical environments.
Some key elements to consider include:
• Learning about dementia, understanding
how it progresses and knowing how to
communicate with the person with dementia; for
instance, learning how a particular person’s facial
expressions convey emotions such as joy and fear.
• Consulting the person with dementia to learn
more about particular likes, dislikes and opinions;
and, when the person is unable to communicate
this, talking to someone close to the person.
• Knowing the person with dementia and being
aware of people, activities and things that are
known to give them pleasure.
• Providing the necessary support to preserve as
much independence as possible.
• Building on the strengths and abilities of the
person with dementia, and encouraging a sense of
feeling useful and valued.
• Giving opportunities to make choices.
• Ensuring that overall health is monitored and
assessed, and that appropriate treatments are given.
A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically
prevent the presence of other health concerns and
diseases. Failure to treat other illnesses can worsen
the symptoms of dementia.
• Providing living space that is safe, familiar and
provides a sense of security, while allowing the
maintance of remaining abilities.
• Respecting the need for companionship, including
physical intimacy. Relationships with family and
friends should be fostered as much as possible.
• Providing care that responds to individual needs
and focuses on abilities rather than losses.
• Acknowledging and recognizing that interests
may change over time rather than trying to impose
former values and expectations.
• Ensuring that all who provide care for people with
dementia recognize that people with dementia are
to be valued and should be treated as individuals.
• Recognizing that all actions and changes in
behaviours of people with dementia are meaningful
and reflect a desire to communicate something.
• Recognizing that the quality of life of the person
with dementia is closely linked to the quality of
life of their caregiver. As their dementia progresses,
the connection between the two may become
stronger