Learning how to redirect when conversations or situations are starting to take a turn for the worst can be an invaluable tool for caregivers of dementia or Alzheimer’s individuals. Read on to learn how to add this to your toolbox.

Redirection

What does redirection mean when applying it to an individual with dementia? How do I do it? Does it really work? These are all valid questions to ask yourself as a caregiver. This blog will give you guidance and helpful tips to better understand and use redirection in your daily life.

The Webster definition of redirection is “the action of assigning or directing something to a new or different place or purpose”. There are many ways in which you can use redirection strategies with those suffering from dementia. In everyday caregiving we use redirection to keep a person from becoming more agitated. Maybe you need to redirect them to keep them safe. Another great time to redirect is when you are trying to accomplish a task, like brushing their teeth or drinking water.

Let’s break it down even more and give you some concrete examples of redirection. We will conclude with a few take away tips.

Scenario one: Let’s get dressed!

It is bright and early on a given morning and your loved one with dementia is shuffling to the bathroom. They have a doctor’s appointment this morning so they need to get dressed for the day in a timely manner. After you help them go to the bathroom, they start heading to the kitchen for breakfast. You attempt to say, “let’s get dressed first,” but they want no part of getting dressed. If eating prior to getting dressed is part of your routine and you have the time, great, eat breakfast in your PJs. If not, how do I get them dressed?

First, be prepared. If you know that getting dressed this particular morning is going to be a deviation in the routine; be ready. Have a few key statements ready to go right as they walk out the door of the bathroom. Examples could be, “Mom, I have something for you to look at in here that is really important, can you come with me?” “Dad, I needed help in the closet getting something down, do you mind helping me first?”

Once in the closet, redirect again. “Mom, do you think the red blouse or white blouse would look good on you today? Let’s try it on, and see?” “Dad, I am not sure if these pants fit you anymore, can we try them on to see?”

Second, use a calming, happy and encouraging tone of voice. If you are happy and encouraging, they will most likely be happy too. By asking them for help, you are giving them the power of choices and a sense of control. Your rate of success will be much greater if they feel as though they have independence and a choice in the matter.

Tip number three is to remember to validate and agree. Many times, redirection is best handled with a simple validation of their needs or wants. Those suffering from dementia often become frustrated by a task as simple as buttoning their shirt. They could become hyper focused on something so small and meaningless, but it is consuming their thoughts and actions. I find that my mom picks at things all the time and her agitation increases because she can’t accomplish the task. She gets frustrated, and I get annoyed because it is so silly and such a meaningless thing. Have you been there? What do you do? Next time try to validate and then redirect.

“Mom, buttoning your shirt can be so frustrating, can I help you?” Or “Dad, I know those pants have a stain on them, why don’t we put them in the laundry and you wear these clean pants.”

These are just a few ways the redirection technique can help you with your loved ones. You may be asking yourself, “What if that doesn’t work?” Well, it might not, and you need to be ok with that as well. Getting an individual with dementia to accomplish a task they don’t want to do is difficult, but if you can keep your tone of voice calm, validate what it is that is frustrating them, and give realistic redirection you should be able to accomplish your task. Be open to trial and error. If your first attempt at redirection fails, give it a few minutes, and try again with something else.

Fourth, therapeutic lying is often a good option when you realize that you are not really deceiving them on a grand scale. You are redirecting them with a small lie to get the end result that is needed. You have to get mom to the doctors and if you need to therapeutically lie to her and tell her you have something in the car that you really need her to look at, how bad of a lie is it? She is now in the car, and you can show her the glove compartment if that makes you feel better about the lie. In the end, the task was accomplished, she is in the car and on time for the doctor’s appointment. I could bet that you may need to therapeutically lie again to get her into the doctor’s office.

Lastly, don’t forget to thank them and give praise. You redirected them into the closet to get dressed; they tried the shirt on for you. Now it is time to praise and thank them for being so “helpful.” “Could you help me again by trying on these pants? It would mean so much to me if I could see them on you?” Pants are on! “ Thank you for putting those on. Those look amazing on you. What shoes do you think would go well with your darling pants?”

It is a continual dance. Remain calm, validate, redirect, thank and start over. It can be exhausting but the alternative of fighting, yelling, and getting nothing accomplished is far more exhausting than learning how to effectively redirect.

A final recap:

1. 1. Be prepared as best you can. Try to anticipate their moves and redirect before they get fixated on something.

   2. Watch your tone of voice and remain calm. They will feed off your energy and tone of voice. If you are calm and happy, they will feel that and remain calm as well.

   3. Validate. Whatever it is that is consuming their thoughts and actions are important to them. To us they may seem silly, trivial or important but to someone with dementia that “thing” is all consuming and your validation is the emotional reassurance they need to move past that “thing.”

   4. Get comfortable with therapeutic lying. Realize that these small deceptions are accomplishing larger more important tasks. They are having more of a positive effect on your loved one than a negative. They are keeping them safe and helping to improve their quality of life.

   5. Give thanks and praise! They need to feel like their task was appreciated. We all love to feel appreciated, don’t we? That instant moment of gratitude helps set the tone for the next task that needs to be accomplished.

   6. Finally, be flexible. Not every situation is going to go as planned and not every attempt to redirect will work. Give yourself some grace and time to navigate each situation. Patterns will begin to form, and you will get better and better at redirecting the more you do it. If mom makes it to the doctor’s appointment on time but is wearing a pink shirt that doesn’t match her pants because she insisted on pink, pat yourself on the back. You made the appointment! Hang in there.

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