A Message From Dr. Helen C. Kales
I am often asked, "How did you come up with The DICE Approach?"
The answer is: "Out of frustration with the status quo of sedating people with dementia for any type of 'behavior' that is deemed unacceptable."
I knew we could do better for people with dementia and their caregivers. Behavior is a form of communication for all human beings whether they have dementia or not.
When we sedate a person without examining the causes of a change in behavior, we are most often merely covering it over and missing an opportunity to actually "treat" the underlying cause which could be so many different things:
- Pain.
- An infection.
- Difficulty in communication between the person with dementia and the caregiver.
- A chaotic environment.
It's complicated! But we found a way to create an approach to teach caregivers how to become "behavior detectives."
See more testimonials
Past participants are talking....
"DICE is a clear, consistent approach that I can share with other caregivers, friends and family. It provides guidance on safety issues and an understanding of what my mom might go through next."
"The DICE Approach incorporates front-line staff to help describe and investigate and be included on the process."
Enhance your caregiving skills today
Training videos, case study e-simulations, training manual (sold separate), and worksheet