In responding to a service user with dementia who repeatedly asks to go home, which strategy aligns with person-centered care?

• A. Argue with the person to stay at the home
• B. Validate feelings, use calm and simple language, avoid arguing, maintain familiar routines, involve family or carers, assess for triggers or pain, and gradually reorient without force
• C. Isolate the person and remove familiar belongings
• D. Ignore the request and continue routine tasks

Answer: (B)

In dementia care, responding to someone who repeatedly asks to go home is about validating their feelings and reducing distress through calm, simple, respectful care. This approach embodies person-centered care, which focuses on the person’s emotions, memories, and preferences, and aims to preserve dignity and autonomy.

By acknowledging the request and the emotion behind it, you remind the person that you understand their need, which can lessen anxiety. Using calm, simple language helps avoid confusion and confrontation. Avoiding arguments prevents escalation and reinforces a sense of safety. Keeping familiar routines provides a predictable environment, which is reassuring for someone with dementia and helps maintain a sense of identity and normalcy. Involving family or carers brings in trusted voices and can help tailor responses to what the person finds comforting and familiar. Checking for triggers or pain addresses potential underlying causes of distress—such as discomfort, a need to use the bathroom, hunger, or environmental stressors—so you can respond effectively rather than just correcting the behavior. If possible and safe, guiding the person gradually and gently toward a state of reorientation without forcing them respects their autonomy while keeping them safe.

Choosing to argue, isolate, or ignore the request undermines dignity and safety. Arguing can increase agitation, isolation strips away support, and ignoring the request neglects the person’s emotional needs.