Person-centred care supports people with dementia by honoring who they are, how they communicate, and what helps them feel safe and involved.
If you lead, train, manage, or provide care, you can use this approach in ordinary moments such as meals, personal care, handovers, activities, and family conversations.
How does being present help a person with dementia?
Good care begins with knowing the person’s history, preferred name, routines, interests, cultural background, communication style, comforts, and signs of distress. This is where the FISH! practice Be There becomes especially useful: offer complete presence by being physically attentive, mentally focused, and emotionally open to the person’s perspective.
For example, a care worker might put down the medication trolley, face the resident, and wait patiently while they find the words. A support worker may notice that a familiar song helps someone settle before washing, while a receptionist may greet a family member by name and listen to their concern without typing throughout the conversation. These small choices communicate, “You matter, and I have time for you.”
Being there does not mean abandoning every task immediately. If a colleague or resident needs a fuller conversation during a busy period, say, “I want to give you my full attention. I’m helping someone right now, and I will come back at two o’clock,” then keep that promise. Consistent relationships and familiar choices can reduce uncertainty, support dignity, and make participation easier.
What can teams do during a difficult interaction?
Start by slowing the pace and checking the environment. Reduce noise, make eye contact if welcomed, use short respectful explanations, and allow extra time for a response. Watch for a change in facial expression, tone, movement, withdrawal, repeated questions, agitation, or an attempt to leave; these may signal fear, pain, confusion, fatigue, or another unmet need.
Useful words include:
• “I can see this feels difficult. Shall we pause?” • “Would you like the blue jumper or the green one?” • “Tell me what would help you feel comfortable.” • “I hear that you want to go home. Let’s talk about what you need right now.”
Afterward, record what helped and share it at handover so the next person can respond consistently. When teams listen carefully, explain choices, and remain present through uncertainty, people with dementia are more likely to feel secure, respected, and included in their own care.
Questions like this one, and many more about service culture, are explored in the FISH! Philosophy upgraded trial, which gives your team 30 days of access to the FISH! film and its digital guides.
