Stuart Taylor

Being a health professional can sometimes prove a challenging role that can sometime become busy and familiar, potentially leading to unintended insensitivities while working with patients. These insensitivities may not be meant maliciously, or in a way that is intended to offend a person, but can easily my misunderstood and may take away the little things that make a difference to a person, and choosing the right words to use, and taking a moment to appreciate a person’s situation can make a world of difference.

In the scenario of Mrs. Jones, I believe threatening Mrs. Jones and using condescending language about her appearance truly is an unprofessional approach; it is the healthcare professional’s role and duty to ensure that Mrs. Jones is treated with the utmost respect and dignity, throughout the entirety of her time within healthcare, and throughout her life. It is without question that family, friends and healthcare professionals want what is best for Mrs. Jones, and may be familiar with her routine, prior to the onset of Dementia, and continuing on post-diagnosis. However, it is important to honour and accept Mrs. Jones’ personal choice and style of clothing, along with items that she may wear or not want to wear.

A more suitable approach would be to address this topic more sensitively; through empathy and communicating in a more suitable manner, that discusses the situation with Mrs. Jones; providing her the opportunity to appreciate the change in her usual routine. Following this discussion, if Mrs. Jones chooses to stick with her original decision, then this must be appreciated and accepted. Mrs. Jones has demonstrated through choosing her lipstick and dress from the options provided that she has the cognitive capacity to make decisions by herself, and what she is comfortable with, and it is for the caregiver to respect and support Mrs. Jones’s autonomy in this situation