Many avoid conversations with dementia patients due to uncertainty, says Faroese Alzheimer’s Association

Many people avoid starting conversations with those who have dementia because they do not know how to approach them, according to the Faroese Alzheimer’s Association.

Unn Justinussen, vice-chair of the association, advises that when speaking to someone with dementia, you should begin by introducing yourself rather than asking if they remember you. “That just puts unnecessary pressure on them,” she told public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

The advice comes after a widely shared social media post listed ways to make life easier for people with dementia. While the tips were well-intentioned, Justinussen noted they were not always practical and directed readers to the association’s website for more reliable guidance.

Hilmar Augustinussen, a dementia care advocate, said people often distance themselves upon learning someone they know has dementia. “These individuals are not broken—their brains just function differently,” he explained, comparing it to a computer with a full hard drive. “The CPU runs fine, the RAM works decently, but the hard drive is full. That means they don’t remember what happened five minutes ago.”

He stressed the importance of simply engaging in conversation without expecting them to recall shared past experiences.