02/04/2026
Today in memory care, we had a fun singalong - and we love doing LOTS of different genres and styles! When we began singing Amazing Grace, a few lines in, one of the residents started to cry.
Without hesitation, the community activities assistant calmly and quietly brought her tissues and offered a comforting smile. No questions. No worry. No rush to “fix” anything - just presence. 💛
After the song, I hugged the resident, and she whispered, “Thank you… I like that song.”
It was a beautiful reminder of something we see every day: emotions MATTER. Tears, anger, fear - they are all part of the human experience, and for people with dementia, being allowed to feel them fully can bring relief, comfort, and connection.
So often in dementia care, we are uncomfortable with tears - or anger or anxiety. We feel like we need to "fix" it - or maybe we fear that it may lead to a challenging behavior. But more often than not, we have found that when the person is given space to cry, to be sad - to FEEL without correction or stifling or redirection without having met the need - they feel the relief that we ALL feel after a good cry...that deep breath we take and then exhale.
We don’t always need to fix. We don’t always need to redirect. Sometimes, all that’s needed is space to BE. To feel, to express, and to know someone is there. And that they are loved.
Just as they are.
