Glass Half-Full: Reframing Dementia Care with Purpose and Possibility

How a shift in mindset, meaningful engagement, and knowing the person can transform everyday moments into something more

What if the very things we call “behaviors” are really just someone asking to be part of something again?

It’s easy to focus on what’s been lost with dementia—what someone can no longer do, remember, or manage. But that’s a half-empty lens. And what if we intentionally flipped it?

What if we focused on what’s still possible?

That’s the shift to a glass half-full approach. And when we embrace it—when we change our mindset—we start seeing the whole person again, not just their diagnosis. We begin to build care that’s meaningful, human, and hopeful.

Know the person—not just their diagnosis

Is this person energized by conversation or comforted by quiet? Are they a lifelong problem-solver, a listener, a spiritual seeker? Did they always lead, or were they happiest supporting from behind the scenes? Knowing whether someone is more introverted or extroverted, hands-on or reflective, helps us create supportive environments that reduce stress and bring comfort. Not just routines, but rhythms that feel familiar.

Life history is our compass

Life history gives us a powerful roadmap to remaining purpose. Not symbolic work—but real, age-respectful, adapted engagement.

• A retired teacher might read to a small group of kindergarteners in a local classroom.

• A former chef can demonstrate how to make vinaigrette or share knife skills in a life enrichment cooking demo.

• A retired electrician might sort light switches and wires for a community project or teach someone how to wire a lamp, with support.

• A longtime parent or grandparent may lead a story circle or support a new mother’s group.

• An avid gardener can tend a real garden that supplies herbs for the kitchen.

• A church volunteer can write cards of encouragement or help prepare for a service.

  
  

The goal is not to keep someone busy. It’s to help them feel useful, recognized, and rooted in something real.

A personal reflection

I will never forget asking a former engineer to review some reports for our maintenance department and then having the department manager meet with him to discuss the findings and ask his opinions. His face lit up, not because it was easy, but because someone was asking for his expertise. He could still contribute because of his lifetime of experience.

That is what real engagement looks like. It’s not about finishing a task. It’s about restoring purpose and connection.

Support well-being by focusing on Being, Understanding, Feeling, and Uniting

The Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure guide reminds us that well-being is not about keeping someone occupied, it’s about helping them feel alive, connected, and valued. This approach invites us to consider the whole person through four meaningful lenses:

• Being: honoring identity, roles, and personal history

• Understanding: adapting environments and activities to current abilities

• Feeling: nurturing joy, peace, safety, and emotional expression

• Uniting: encouraging shared experiences, social belonging, and community

  
  

Ask yourself:

• Is this person experiencing moments of joy or delight?

• Do they have opportunities to express themselves or make choices?

• Are their abilities being supported, not bypassed?

• Do they feel known, safe, and connected to others?

  
  

These are the kinds of questions that help us move beyond surface-level activity and into meaningful engagement that supports the soul as well as the mind.

One care partner alone doesn’t have to do it all. When the team is aligned with this way of thinking, everyone becomes part of the well-being circle.

Shift from doing for to doing with

This is a foundational shift. When we do everything for someone, we often remove their chance to participate in life. But when we invite someone to join in—with adaptations—we’re saying, “You still matter.”

Use the I CAN mindset

People living with dementia still have drive, desire, and dignity. The I CAN approach reminds us:

I CAN

I am Capable with the right support.

I Appreciate a sense of purpose.

I Can Navigate each day and thrive.

This isn’t just about hope. It’s about tapping into real abilities and opportunities with the right approach.

Real Engagement Means Full Participation

Meaningful engagement doesn’t begin with handing someone a watering can or a paintbrush. It starts long before that—with an idea, a conversation, a choice.

True engagement invites a person to be part of the process from the beginning, adapted to their ability and interest. It’s a layered experience that taps into anticipation, decision-making, physical involvement, and joy.

Let’s take gardening as an example:

Planting a garden isn’t a one-time event. It’s a journey—and a rich opportunity for someone living with dementia to participate in every stage.

• It begins with conversation. “What did you grow in your garden as a kid?” “Do you remember the smell of tomato vines?” “Would you rather plant flowers or herbs?”

• Then comes planning. “Let’s look at these seed catalogs together.” “Should we plant marigolds or zinnias?” “What colors would you like near the window?”

• The outing becomes part of the engagement. A trip to the garden center. Browsing, touching, smelling, choosing. Being there matters.

• Back home, there’s soil to prepare. Pots to fill. Seeds or plants to place with guidance and care. This is sensory, active, and achievable.

• After planting, the garden needs tending—watering, weeding, watching for sprouts. This creates rhythm and routine.

• And when those plants grow? The reward is real. You can pick basil and make pesto. Clip the flowers and make a centerpiece. Share the harvest with neighbors.

  
  

This is purpose. Not just presence. It reflects identity, capability, and a chance to contribute.

Here’s another example: setting up a home aquarium

• Start by asking, “Have you ever had fish before?” “What kind of animals did you enjoy?”

• Look at pictures together. Learn about fish that are easy to care for. Ask, “Which one do you like?”

• Visit the pet store. Walk through, observe, talk about what you see.

• Pick out a tank, gravel, plants, and fish. Include the person in that process—based on their ability, they might choose the decorations, name the fish, or carry the small bag of supplies.

• Back home, set up the tank together. Pouring, rinsing, arranging—each step is hands-on and goal-oriented.

• And then comes the ongoing care—feeding the fish, watching them swim, cleaning the tank.

• The tank becomes not just decoration, but a living reminder of shared investment.

  
  

This approach works in countless ways:

• Planning a community event

• Organizing a book club

• Creating gift baskets for local shelters

• Recording a video message for grandchildren

• Leading a prayer circle

• Setting the table for a shared meal

  
  

Whatever the opportunity, ask:

• How can I bring this person into the beginning, not just the middle or the end?

• Where are the moments of choice, movement, reflection, and reward?

• How can this feel purposeful, not pretend?

  
  

Why this matters

Because when we shift to a glass half-full lens, we change the story.We create care that is relational, not just transactional.We restore identity.We reduce distress.We build trust.And we offer moments of purpose—for the person and for ourselves.

This doesn’t mean the journey is easy. There are still peaks and valleys. But when we walk it with a mindset of respect, curiosity, and possibility, we begin to find meaning—right where we are.

Want to Go Deeper?

Here are three resources that inspired this post and offer practical tools for supporting well-being and meaningful engagement:

• Pathways to Well-Being with Dementia: A Manual of Help, Hope & Inspiration  Dementia Action Alliance, et al., 2022  https://daanow.org/pathways

• Dementia Self-Management Guidebook  A free resource provided by DEER (Dementia Engagement, Education, & Research Program), School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno 

  https://deerprogram.org/guidebook

• Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure: Being, Understanding, Feeling, Uniting (BUFU)  Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, 2018  https://the-ria.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BUFU-Guide-Living-and-Celebrating-Life-Through-Leisure_AODA.pdf

  
  

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