‘I’m Still Here’ Principles
‘I’m Still Here’ Principles
To ensure DIGNITY, give HOPE, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE
- Accepting: Engage the full person with whatever challenges they face – they are still there.
- Positive: Use the person’s skills and abilities and encourage them to succeed at what they can do and to master new skills.
- Open-minded: Employ any and all approaches, techniques, and methods that reduce the need for and dependence on medication.
- Involved: Maintain all persons living with dementia in – and linked to – their communities.
- Inventive: Take advantage of existing – and often underutilized – community resources.
- Respectful: Respect each person’s choices, wishes, and capacities.
- Relational: Reinforce the relationship between persons with dementia and their care partners.
- Comprehensive: Aim to reach and appeal to persons with dementia living at home as well as in other settings.
- Inclusive: Include and involve all care partners in programs and activities.
- Educational: Educate individual and community partners in new and positive ways to engage with Persons Living with Dementia.
- Meaningful: Create meaning in the life of each person living with dementia by providing opportunities for them to help, give to, and share with others.
- Encouraging: Help everyone living with dementia to learn and grow.
- Creative: Use the arts and all the senses to engage persons living with dementia.