I decided to create a new space on MyAlzheimersStory.com to preserve the useful information, inspiring thoughts, short stories, good ideas and inspiring quotes people share. This is the first one thanks to a LinkedIn connection. I’m calling this space “You said it!”
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I posted 10 ways to reframe “refused medication” on LinkedIn and asked “Can changing the words we use change the way we think about people who live with dementia?”
Stephanie Frederick, M.Ed., RN said:
“I’m an (independent) RN Patient Advocate. My (dementia) patient-client and I were recently “fired” by the PCP (primary care physician) because I refused a medication the client didn’t want (“I feel so drugged!”). It was the 3rd added psychotropic medication on the same day the other 2 medications were increased. The physician couldn’t convince the patient, and he was very angry that I agreed with the patient-client. We were given 30 days to find another provider, which we gladly did. Thank you for helping healthcare practitioners and caregivers to learn a different language!”
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My Alzheimer's Story 
“Consider the the appalling ‘culture’ of healthcare and the training of carers, and the failure management to direct carers to care first. The carers are also impinged upon by the constant demand to cut costs – something I understand professionally, but which needs to be tackled differently. First, change the style of caring, provide genuine leadership to the care staff and then see how much ‘agitation’ is left, and look at the costs before and after. My instinct says good culture from good managers equals happy staff and calm patients.”