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Dementia With G.R.A.C.E.: A New, Positive Way of Dealing with Behaviors in People with Dementia
Are you dealing with “problem” behaviors as you struggle to care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia? You are not alone. Are you wondering why “problem” is in quotation marks? Well, read on!
I believe that although much is lost at each stage of dementia, there is much that remains. I believe that when you see the “why” of a behavior, it ceases to be “problem” and rather becomes an opportunity for deeper connection. Did you know that almost all behaviors are because of an unmet need? I believe that by understanding this basic tenet and then using that knowledge to reframe the disease and its effects, we can better meet the needs of those we love.
The techniques you will find in this guide will help you navigate the rough days and steer you toward more graceful days. This approach to behavior management has been developed over years working with people with dementia. In these pages, you will find an approach for just about any behavior that emerges! You will come to understand HOW to manage the behavior by learning WHY certain behaviors occur and WHAT you can do to keep “problem” behaviors at a minimum. Using a proven, systematic approach to behavior management based on the acronym, G.R.A.C.E., you will you discover the meaning behind each step, and discover how extending and receiving grace can help both your loved one receiving care AND you, as a caregiver.
I will strive to explain why certain behaviors occur, and what to do about them, in a concise, easy to find way. This book is set up so that you can click on any “problem” behavior and find a solution quickly, but I encourage you to start at the beginning so that you have a broader understanding of why the behavior started in the first place. Once you understand the system in context, it will make for less emergent behaviors overall.
I believe that although much is lost at each stage of dementia, there is much that remains. I believe that when you see the “why” of a behavior, it ceases to be “problem” and rather becomes an opportunity for deeper connection. Did you know that almost all behaviors are because of an unmet need? I believe that by understanding this basic tenet and then using that knowledge to reframe the disease and its effects, we can better meet the needs of those we love.
The techniques you will find in this guide will help you navigate the rough days and steer you toward more graceful days. This approach to behavior management has been developed over years working with people with dementia. In these pages, you will find an approach for just about any behavior that emerges! You will come to understand HOW to manage the behavior by learning WHY certain behaviors occur and WHAT you can do to keep “problem” behaviors at a minimum. Using a proven, systematic approach to behavior management based on the acronym, G.R.A.C.E., you will you discover the meaning behind each step, and discover how extending and receiving grace can help both your loved one receiving care AND you, as a caregiver.
I will strive to explain why certain behaviors occur, and what to do about them, in a concise, easy to find way. This book is set up so that you can click on any “problem” behavior and find a solution quickly, but I encourage you to start at the beginning so that you have a broader understanding of why the behavior started in the first place. Once you understand the system in context, it will make for less emergent behaviors overall.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2018
165 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 24, 2023
As someone who works in a care facility in the memory care unit, I thought the exact opposite as those saying this is more for professional care givers or facilities. This is clearly geared for home care, for families taking care of their sick family member. The tools provided here are difficult to implement in a unit with more than 20+ people. And we as care givers don’t know YOUR family member the way you do. And when precisely, when caring for 20+ people and minimal staff, are we supposed to have the time to use things like the gather tool? I don’t have time to sit with one resident for more than an hour and ask all those questions. You know who does? Their families. Yeah it’s very much geared towards individual family usage, not a care facility which I can guarantee is under staffed and overwhelmed.
The ideas in it seem pretty solid, but again, as someone who works in a memory care unit, difficult to implement with a couple dozen people living there under our care simultaneously.
The ideas in it seem pretty solid, but again, as someone who works in a memory care unit, difficult to implement with a couple dozen people living there under our care simultaneously.
June 11, 2020
The premise of this book is the problem behaviors in dementia patients arise from a specific need and if you can figure out what the need is, you can curtail the behavior. She gives a few examples, such as a man living in a nursing home would repeatedly crawl under his bed. They finally realized that as a former auto mechanic, his need to feel useful made him imagine the bed to be a car in need of repair, so to stop him from crawling under it they gave him a board with nuts and bolts attached that he could tinker with. This and the other examples she gives are about more unusual and specific behaviors than the typical problem behaviors in dementia patients (which have more to do with sleep, the bathroom, time disorientation, and obsessive repetition), and on those she's silent.
The book contains some checklists and assessment tools, but no real solutions. This seems geared more to the professional caregiver than the home caregiver.
The book contains some checklists and assessment tools, but no real solutions. This seems geared more to the professional caregiver than the home caregiver.
January 18, 2020
Dementia With Grace, A New, Positive Way of Dealing with Behaviors in People with Dementia, by Vicky Nolan’s Fitch, BSW/CDP (pp 153).
The good: written by an experienced social worker, big print, checklists for a variety of purposes, based on real world experiences, and includes links for additional resources.
The not so good: written more from an institutional perspective than in-home care, too many checklists, few family member examples, somewhat disjointed (at least to me), and poorly edited.
This book does have good information, but it’s long on assessment and diagnosing and short in solutions. Also, even given its short length, it’s wordy. This is not where I’d recommend starting your research if you’re a family member caregiver.
The good: written by an experienced social worker, big print, checklists for a variety of purposes, based on real world experiences, and includes links for additional resources.
The not so good: written more from an institutional perspective than in-home care, too many checklists, few family member examples, somewhat disjointed (at least to me), and poorly edited.
This book does have good information, but it’s long on assessment and diagnosing and short in solutions. Also, even given its short length, it’s wordy. This is not where I’d recommend starting your research if you’re a family member caregiver.
May 11, 2019
This short (I read it in a day) and helpful book is a must read for caregivers of dementia patients. Whether you are a professional or family caregiver you will find tips on dealing with aspects of the disease and how to make life better for yourself and your patients. The book included a great Patient History Form I will be using. I read it on Kindle but am ordering paperback for my reference library.
May 11, 2020
Easy Guide to Understanding Dementia
I read this book, as I’m dealing with my mother with Dementia. I found this book to be very easy to understand and great tips using G.R.A.C.E. to help understand dementia. I’m going to recommend this book to the facility where my mother currently lives, as they don’t seem to follow any type of program in caring for their residents.
I read this book, as I’m dealing with my mother with Dementia. I found this book to be very easy to understand and great tips using G.R.A.C.E. to help understand dementia. I’m going to recommend this book to the facility where my mother currently lives, as they don’t seem to follow any type of program in caring for their residents.
May 27, 2023
Caregiver Go To
I have been a caregiver for a very long time in nursing homes and in my personal life. I wish I had a this very helpful book to use as guidance. The book makes sense of life when you care for a loved one with a broken brain which can be an exhaustive, difficult journey. Grab this book and keep it handy! 😊
I have been a caregiver for a very long time in nursing homes and in my personal life. I wish I had a this very helpful book to use as guidance. The book makes sense of life when you care for a loved one with a broken brain which can be an exhaustive, difficult journey. Grab this book and keep it handy! 😊
December 26, 2019
Not Bad, but Not Much
This book had some good advice, but nothing really new from what I’ve read. It did employ a few good mnemonic devices, but otherwise seemed a repackaging of material I’ve found elsewhere.
This book had some good advice, but nothing really new from what I’ve read. It did employ a few good mnemonic devices, but otherwise seemed a repackaging of material I’ve found elsewhere.
October 7, 2020
Such a great help with my loved one with dementia. Thankful I found Vicky on YouTube search!! And now I’m in her fb group, Dementia With Grace! Come join us if you are caring for a loved one with dementia. Great support and advice!!
January 23, 2022
Full-time caregiver for my husband
Easy understanding
Well written
Very informative
Taking
I am the full-time caregiver for my husband with FTD. We have been married 13 yrs this information is very helpful for me.
Easy understanding
Well written
Very informative
Taking
I am the full-time caregiver for my husband with FTD. We have been married 13 yrs this information is very helpful for me.
January 10, 2023
Although somewhat religious, this book has soon good ideas for management of loved ones with dementia. I hope to find it again when I am caring for someone with these issues. Or have someone find it if they are caring for me.
March 22, 2019
Great help!
This guide has helped immensely! I'll be buying it for other family members. I now feel comfortable and better equipped to care for my Mom.
This guide has helped immensely! I'll be buying it for other family members. I now feel comfortable and better equipped to care for my Mom.
August 14, 2021
Living though
This a very good book , it helped me understand what these people were going though and a guide for care gives
This a very good book , it helped me understand what these people were going though and a guide for care gives
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews