Dementia care educator Teepa Snow explains ‘brain change’ and what it means for caregivers

(Aging Untold) — Dementia can change how families talk, plan and get through a normal day, and many caregivers are working out what to do in real time. Teepa Snow, a nationally recognized dementia care educator, occupational therapist and founder of Positive Approach to Care, joined Aging Untold to talk about what she has taught families and care teams for decades. She discussed why she uses the term “brain change,” how she approaches refusals such as taking a shower and why written reminders may not help. Why Snow says ‘brain change’ Snow said people with dementia lose some abilities but change others, and she uses “brain change” instead of language that focuses on decline. “Although people are losing some abilities, they’re actually changing others,” Snow said. For example, some people who never swore may begin to, and people who would never have asked strangers for help may walk up and say they need to get home, Snow said. “People think all the time of brain failure and brain loss,