Using Dementia Care Cards to Improve Communication

Do you find that others have difficulty communicating with your partner who has dementia? Maybe they don't even know your partner has dementia. Have you and your partner been in stressful or awkward situations because of this?

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Our Dementia Care Cards provide a discreet and dignified way to let people know how to best communicate and engage with your partner living with dementia. These cards are perfect to use at social gatherings, medical offices, restaurants, hair salons, airports, convenience stores, banks, and everywhere in between. Pair our Dementia Care Cards with our Dementia Champion Buttons, 1 for you and 1 for your partner, to provide settle, yet effective public awareness while facilitating improved social interactions and a sense of normalcy for both you and your partner.

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Pro tip: Traveling with a third party can make handing out dementia care cards easier.

• For example: you and your person living with dementia and then a third party like a spouse, an older child, a family friend — anyone your partner also feels comfortable with.

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Here are a 3 examples of how to discreetly give someone a dementia care card:

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Grocery Store Scenario: Your partner has a basket of items and wants to independently check out. Take a regular coupon and the dementia care card with you to the store. You go first, and tell the cashier, "I just wanted to check if these coupons are still good because I couldn't find a date." The third party is helping the person living with dementia unload the cart.
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Coffee Shop Scenario: Your partner wants to independently order their coffee. You place your order first with the dementia care card in hand and ask if they still accept this type of "gift card", while the third party helps the person look over the menu.

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‍Restaurant Scenario:

• You go to the host and tell them you have a party of three and hand them the card while your person with dementia and the third party wait to the side away from the podium or you go in ahead of time to "see if they are busy" while they wait in the car.
• You are seated at the table. The waiter has already come to take drink orders (so you know who your waiter is). You say you have to go to the bathroom. Find the waiter and hand them the card while the third party member stays at the table with your person with dementia.
• ‍The waiter comes to take orders. You say, "I'm ready, I can go first." You hold up the menu (away from your person living with dementia) and place the card on top of the menu and you point to the card as you place your order.
  

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