Validation Therapy

What is Validation?

This is a communication technique that allows caregivers to better relate to our Memory Care residents by connecting with residents where they are on life’s journey. For example, if a resident sees themselves as a 35-year-old working professional, then the caregiver joins the resident in their reality. This is accomplished by accepting the values and beliefs of the resident without confrontation. Trying to reorient a resident to “facts” often is confusing and unsuccessful for the resident. The caregiver is putting themselves in the shoes of the resident, not simply by trying to move an individual’s attention from one thing to another; it is also about validating feelings and emotions.