What is Humanitude
About Humanitude
Humanitude is a communication technique for conveying kindness to people with dementia.
With aging populations worldwide, there is a growing need to create communities where people can live safely and comfortably in their familiar surroundings, even if they develop dementia.
To support someone with dementia, it is very helpful to convey to them, in a way they can understand, that "I care about you."
Four Pillars for Communicating "I Care About You"
- gaze
- There are messages that can be conveyed through our gaze. Looking directly at someone conveys honesty, looking at them horizontally conveys equality, and looking at them up close and for an extended period conveys intimacy.
- speech
- When providing care, we tend to proceed quickly and silently, but to convey "I care about you," it's necessary to let words flow freely in that moment. Slow, gentle words bring reassurance to the person you're caring for.
- touch
- If you grab someone, even if that's not your intention, you'll make them feel like, "This person is taking away my freedom, they're a terrible person." When you touch someone, first support their hand from below to convey gentleness.
- verticality
- Getting up is important for maintaining a person's individuality. Making time to stand for 20 minutes a day can prevent becoming bedridden. Gradually increase your standing time by doing things like brushing your teeth or getting dressed while standing, or walking to the dining table, aiming for a total of 20 minutes.
