ABSTRACT

This chapter explores Morton's work Person-centred Approaches to Dementia Care for much original source material for early sections on reality orientation, validation, resolution and pre-therapy approaches. Validation therapy was begun by Naomi Feil in the late 1960s as an attempt to offer an alternative to the reality orientation revolution that was at that time beginning to sweep through America. It is worth looking at some of the more prominent dementia care approaches so as to understand the current direction of caring for people living with dementia and how services for people living with dementia are emerging and synergising. As adaptive response is one such idea, but not a standalone model, the carer's role is to apply its underlying principles and findings within the predominant model or approach. The Department of Health has commissioned Skills for Care and Skills for Health to produce new guidance for health and social care professionals who work with people who have dementia.