No, that's not your name!

Decreasing thinking ability

The film in brief

Situation 1 At Anne's work

Anne (55 jaar) en Jean Paul lopen samen naar de sociale werkplaats.
Na een kopje koffie gaat Anne aan de slag achter de computer, met hulp van begeleider Patrick. Ze moet de presentielijst invullen en roept de voor- en achternamen van haar collega’s.

Situation 2 Anne, clearly older and with dementia, lives in a group home

De tafel wordt gedekt. Zoals elke dag komt de wijkverpleegster Myriam langs. ‘Weet je mijn naam nog?’, vraagt ze.
‘Tuurlijk’, zegt Anne (60 jaar). Myriam helpt een beetje: ‘Ik heet Myriam’. ‘Ik denk het niet’ reageert Anne. ‘Wat denk jij dan?’ vraagt Myriam. ‘Je heet Laurence’, antwoordt Anne. ‘Ik heet echt Myriam’, zegt Myriam. Dan geeft Anne Myriam een knuffel en zegt ‘sorry’. Even later komt ze erop terug. ‘Ik denk toch dat ik gelijk heb over je voornaam.’

All footage is authentic and taken from real-life situations.

Theme

The theme of this lesson is "forgot the name."

Dementia often leads to memory loss (amnesia) and can affect a person’s ability to recognize others and remember their correct names. This symptom can be especially painful for family members and loved ones. It is also referred to as disorientation in person. In addition, people with dementia may become confused in other areas, such as time and place. Disorientation in time and place is addressed in other cases.

The case “I am Anne” explores Anne’s life story and the onset of her dementia, including early signs such as getting lost. It also provides important context for the other cases; therefore, it is recommended to watch I am Anne again.

General questions

What do you see, and what stands out to you?
What might be the underlying problem?
How does Myriam respond, and what do you think she is experiencing?
What do you notice about the physical environment?
How can you help Anne?

Share this case with others

In-depth questions

What does it take for you to respond to a person with dementia who no longer recognizes you?
How might it affect group members if a person with dementia has forgotten their names, and how would you explain this to them?
How can you respond when a person with dementia no longer recognizes a loved one?
How would you explain to a colleague what you would and would not do in such a situation?
Have you had experiences with a resident or family member that are similar to this situation?

There are several ways to respond when a person with dementia does not know a name or uses the wrong name. You may choose to help or gently correct the person; this approach is known as reality orientation. Another option is to redirect attention and avoid correcting the mistake too strongly; this is referred to as validation.

What works—and what does not—varies from person to person and from moment to moment. The situation is often unpredictable. As a professional or informal caregiver, you are the one who must find the most appropriate response. In doing so, you will continually encounter questions, many of which have ethical implications.

Would you like to learn more about reality orientation and validation? 'The caregiver’s companion to intellectual disabilities and dementia: 100 real-life questions and answers' will be released soon. For now, it is available in Dutch.

Statements for Discussion

If a person with dementia no longer recognizes you, you should respond with understanding and help them remember, as not recognizing someone is distressing.
If a person with dementia has forgotten a name, relearning and practicing is the best approach.
It is understandable that loved ones withdraw or break off contact when a family member with dementia no longer recognizes them, as this is emotionally painful.
Family members and informal caregivers are more emotionally affected by these situations than professionals.
A person with dementia only remembers the names of people who visit regularly.