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Reframing Dementia › Activity 1.3: Mapping Your Own Journey

Part 5: Activity 1.3: Mapping Your Own Journey

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Before we can truly connect with people living with dementia, it helps to pause and think about which lines we usually travel on – logic, memory, context, or emotion. This activity – which can be found in your workbook – is designed to help you identify which lines you tend to travel on and how that shapes your interactions with others. This will help you to recognize when you’re expecting people living with dementia to follow your lead and take the steps to travel with them.

Before you begin the activity, you might find it useful to read the descriptions of each thinking route (they are also written in your workbook):

Expand the sections below to reveal questions that will help you explore your own emotional “map”. There are no right or wrong answers — only opportunities to notice where your thoughts and feelings take you.

Take your time with it. You don’t need to finish everything right away. The questions invite deeper reflection that can be challenging and evolve over time. As you work through it, you’ll begin to see how understanding your own pathways can bridge the gap – not only with people living with dementia, but with anyone who thinks or communicates differently.

  1. Which “line” do you usually travel first – Logic, Memory, Context, or Emotion?
  2. How does that route shape the way you communicate or make decisions?
  3. When might that approach be helpful, and when might it make connection harder?

  1. How did you expect them to “travel” with you on YOUR preferred line?
  2. What feelings came up when they couldn’t or didn’t? (e.g., frustration, worry, confusion)
  3. What might change if you tried to join them on their line instead?

  1. What situations or feelings make it difficult for you to slow down and listen?
  2. What “roadblocks” might stop you from meeting someone on the Emotion Line?

  1. What would that look or sound like for you in daily life?
  2. How might it change the way you respond to people living with dementia — or to others in your community?

  1. What’s one small shift you can make to stay open to the Emotion Line when interacting with others?
  2. How will you remind yourself to pause and check which “line” you’re on before responding?

Session Wrap Up

You’ve taken the first step toward reframing how we think about dementia – not as a loss of logic or memory, but as a shift in how people experience and respond to the world. When you understand that feelings often lead the way, you’re better equipped to listen, connect, and support others in ways that truly meet them where they are.  We’ll dive deeper into real-world scenarios and discover how to integrate an emotion-first mindset into your everyday interactions in Session 3: Small Actions, Big Changes.

Next, in Session 2: Creating Supportive Spaces, we’ll explore how the environments around us – from workplaces and shops to parks and neighbourhoods – can make daily life easier or harder for people living with dementia. You’ll learn practical ways to identify and reduce barriers, creating spaces that help everyone feel welcome and at ease.

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