Lying to a Person With Dementia Can Help With Anxiety and Stress, but Not All Agree

February 23, 2023

(Wall Street Journal) – Lying to someone with dementia can be beneficial, say many healthcare professionals and caregivers, as well as those in the early stages of dementia. A person with Alzheimer’s who insists that a late mother is still alive may enter into a state of depression and relive a loved one’s death, or become agitated, if a caregiver tries to correct them. In those cases, the practice of therapeutic lying—which some in the aging field prefer to call “therapeutic fibbing” or “creative communications techniques”—can protect a person with dementia from unnecessary distress, doctors and caregivers say. But the practice is also controversial. Others say deception can be manipulative and erode trust, especially if done routinely. And many people feel guilty about deceiving loved ones. (Read More)