Self awareness exercises

Here are some examples of ways you can develop your self awareness to remain mindful of how your residents may be interpreting your verbal and non-verbal communication:

• Take a video of how you speak with someone or practice in front of a mirror so that you can examine your own facial expressions when talking.
• Self reflect on times you felt your communication went well and on times you felt it could be improved.
• Practice mindfulness, meditation and relaxation regularly to reduce your own feelings of tension.

Remember that Dementia impacts people differently.

A person who has dementia may experience some or all of these difficulties and at different intensities.

This means it is important to take a person-centered approach to communication and personalize the way you communicate to suit the needs of each individual person.