13. Provide Choices: Encouraging Autonomy
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Preserving a sense of autonomy is vital for individuals battling dementia. As the disease progresses, they often find themselves losing control over various aspects of their life, which can be quite disheartening. By providing choices during communication, you’re giving them the opportunity to express their preferences and maintain some control.
However, presenting choices requires a careful approach. Too many options can lead to confusion and overwhelm, while too few can feel restrictive.
The goal is to simplify the decision-making process without stripping away their autonomy. In practical terms, this could mean offering two options for lunch instead of asking an open-ended question about what they want to eat. (13)
