One of our dementia clients can be salty at times. I was engaged with another client when I heard her say, “You b****.”, rather loudly. Looking over at her, I saw she was smiling. I smiled back and said, “What did you say?” She replied, “What?” so I said, “I’m not sure what you said.” With a wide smile and a twinkle in her eye, she said, “I just said I love you!” I giggled back, “Well, that’s good, ’cause I love you, too.”
Having a conversation with a person who has dementia doesn’t have to make sense. It’s all about connecting and companionship.