South Brent –a Dementia Friendly Community
Tips for Shops & Businesses
- Speak slowly & clearly. Use short sentences. Offer few choices. Closed questions work better eg ‘Do you need milk or bread?’
- Be aware of your body language –smile, make good eye contact, respect personal space
- Listen and be patient
- Talk in quiet area – noise can be difficult to cope with
- Help with money may be needed – counting money, recognising coins may be difficult. Give a receipt.
- Person may be lost – may be unable to follow directions & need to be guided round your shop. May need help with their list. Do intervene if they seem to be buying an unusually large amount of something.
- Person may be distressed & unable to find way home. You could offer to look in a pocket or bag for an address. Involve the police if necessary.
- Try and keep things the same ie the same worker supports the same person each time. However they may not remember you or what you talked about last time
With thanks to Alzheimer Scotland – Action on Dementia