Danish dementia care wishes shared widely in national awareness campaign
A list of personal wishes for how to be treated if diagnosed with dementia is being widely shared on Facebook as part of Denmark’s annual Dementia Week campaign, reports DR.
Danes are posting and circulating a set of requests—such as “If I believe my husband is still alive, let me believe it”—to raise awareness about respectful interaction with dementia patients. The campaign, running in week 19, aims to promote a more dementia-friendly society.
Ina Kristensen, 64, a retired senior from Lunde in Varde Municipality, shared the post after witnessing the impact of dementia firsthand. “I’ve seen many with dementia, and it’s crucial we all understand how to engage with them,” she told DR. “These guidelines are excellent—I’d want to be treated this way myself.”
While neither she nor her husband currently face dementia, occasional memory lapses—like misplacing keys or forgetting names—have led them to adopt preventive habits. “We stay physically and mentally active to delay it, though there’s no guarantee,” Kristensen said. She also stressed the importance of planning ahead, citing their past experience with another serious illness: “Once dementia sets in, it’s too late to make decisions.”
The shared list includes requests like asking patients to recount past memories and avoiding corrections about deceased loved ones. Nanna Hoffmann Nordenskov, a dementia coordinator in Sønderborg Municipality, endorses these approaches. “Their reality is different,” she explained. “Telling them a parent is dead can trigger grief they’ll forget by tomorrow—without resolving anything.”
Nordenskov, who trains caregivers and relatives, emphasized that discussing past experiences—through photos or music—often brings comfort, as long-term memories remain more intact. Her core advice: “Meet them where they are. Their reality is as valid as yours.”
According to Denmark’s National Knowledge Center for Dementia, roughly 103,000 people aged 65 or older currently live with dementia in the country.