Dementia With G.R.A.C.E.: A New, Positive Way of Dealing with Behaviors in People with Dementia

by Vicky Noland Fitch

HELP! My mother calls me constantly...my father wants to go home (and he IS home)...my husband refuses help, refuses medicines, refuses a bath...my person with dementia sleeps all the time OR will not sleep at all!
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 behavior, it ceases to be a “problem” and rather becomes an opportunity for a deeper connection.
That's why I developed the G.R.A.C.E. Gather Important Life History, Routine & Reminisce, Assess (with PICEM!), Calm, or Excite! For instance, I believe that almost all behaviors are because of an unmet need. 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 support. I discuss this in "A" Assess...and teach you all about PICEM...a neat memory tool for YOU the caregiver to quickly assess your person when a new or worsening behavior emerges!
Using my "Gather Tool"...the G in GRACE; you, family and friends, other caregivers...can learn more and more about a person with dementia...and connect with the younger parts of themselves that they are expressing as the disease regresses. And SO much more!
Along with my book, there are additional ways to be supported by me...as you will notice mentioned in the generous reviews!
**I have a Facebook Support Group that centers around the philosophy in the book, and I am inside there every day fielding questions!..come join us! Search "Dementia With Grace Caregiver Support Group" on Facebook!
**I have LIVE Support group POP-UPS at different times, different to catch ALL the times a caregiver might be available, and the replays are posted in perpetuity!
**I have my YouTube channel "Dementia With Grace"...
THANK YOU for considering my book and system to add to your collection. I know you have an overload of choices. I hope I can make that choice easier, by teaching you about GRACE! All my love, Vicky

168 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2018

Reviews

[Wendi Ballew · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Kathleen B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[T. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

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! 😊

[Janice Hamby · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Dovie Orsborn Tomplait · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[dianne kelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Cindy-Lu Fitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living though

This a very good book , it helped me understand what these people were going though and a guide for care gives