Validation Therapy

Validation Therapy validates "feelings" not facts. It works especially well with an Alzheimer's resident. Years ago when the concept first was introduced I took the course and was volunteering at a Nursing Home. There was a resident who was especially combative and was always yelling the same sentence - "Get the dress!"
The staff insisted that there wasn't a dress in her room. After a few instances of hearing her yelling, I stopped at her door and she yelled at me, "Get the dress!!" I walked to the closet and asked her what it looked like. She answered, "it's blue." I asked, "plain blue?" and she said, "no, blue with flowers."
I asked her where she last wore the dress and she said, "I never wore it. My father wouldn't let me. I bought it to wear to a dance and he wouldn't let me go to the dance."
That created quite an impact with me. A dress for a dance - 70 years ago. I empathized with her and we started a discussion about disappointments in life. She never yelled, "GET THE DRESS" again...