About this episode

Teepa Snow and Greg Phelps discuss the impact of correcting individuals with dementia and the importance of preserving relationships over being right.

On a recent walk in the woods, Greg overheard a small but telling exchange: a daughter snapped at her mother for misremembering who once owned a camera. It was a tiny correction — and a familiar one. In this episode, Teepa Snow and Greg Phelps unpack why our reflex to set the record straight can quietly erode the relationships that matter most. Teepa walks care partners through a more useful question than Am I right? Instead, ask yourself: Is it worth it? Worth it in five minutes? Five hours? Five years? Worth it when this conversation is the last one you'll remember? You'll learn: · Why correcting a person living with dementia often feels like an attack, even when it's well-intentioned · How to slow down and use curiosity instead of confrontation ("So you're thinking it was me that owned that type of camera?") · A practical reframe for everyday moments — wet pants, spilled soup, mistaken identities — that protects dignity and the relationship · Why it's better to be kind than to be right is a skill, not just a saying Whether you're supporting a spouse, parent, or client, this conversation will help you trade the urge to correct someone for the power to preserve your…

People in this episode

Host: Teepa Snow

Guest: Greg Phelps

Topics covered

• dementia care
• communication
• relationships
• correction
• curiosity
• dignity

Keywords

• dementia
• correction
• communication
• relationships
• curiosity
• dignity
• care partners

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Improving Communications in Dementia Care

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